The Dark-Steel Sketchbook
by Chaos Star799
Summary: A series of one shot stories, based around events in the romantic relationship, between Steven Stone & Cynthia. Each chapter is a stand alone story, unless stated. Plenty of other classic characters appear too, in some of them. Rated T, as some chapters may have more mature content, but each story will be rated before starting. Feedback & messages welcome. Chapter 32 uploaded.
1. Wallace

**Hello everyone, and welcome to my first** **dabble into the pokemon universe. I** **'m sure that you can guess from the title, that these stories will all be pertaining to Steven Stone and Cynthia, and their relationship. (Yeah Yeah, I know they have never technically met according to the anime & manga, but sue me.)**

 **Anyway, Steven** **is actually my favourite character in the whole of the pokemon franchise. His character is just plain awesome. So no surprise, that these stories will** **be based around him.** **With regards to Cynthia, she is** **my favourite female character in the franchise.** **(Yeah I know, who doesn't like her?)**

 **However, I got** **hooked on these two characters, and I have to say, I think they actually would go** **brilliantly together in a relationship; judging from** **their** **personalities, interests etc...but I think** **you all gathered that from the title though.**

 **Anyway, I've babbled too much, let's roll with these stories. So, each chapter will stand alone, unless stated in the opening text. So, each chapter will be it's own individual story. Timelines will vary. Also, each chapter will be given a rating before being published, just so you can judge what content you will be seeing.**

 **Fear not, some chapters will feature some of the other classic characters too, so not to worry.**

 **Anyone else who is a fan of this couple,** **don't hesitate to drop me a message, it would be awesome to speak to others. And remember,** **feedback is welcome, but please keep it modest.**

 **Yes, I have re-updated this chapter, as I have decided to improve it slightly, so if you have read this before, then yes, it has changed. If you haven't, then welcome, and I hope you enjoy.**

 **So without further ado...**

 **This chapter is rated** **T, but I think it's more implied than anything.**

 **Steven's thoughts are in italic**

 **Now, on with the show,**

* * *

"Seriously, come on Steven, how'd it go?"

 _So much for peace and quiet,_ Steven thought, as he lowered his mug back to the kitchen table. He'd only returned from Unova, literally, thirty minutes ago, and since that time, the Sootopolis gym leader, had taken it upon himself to interrogate him at every given opportunity.

Steven had been looking forward to returning home to relax, (and recover from the slight hangover he was carrying,) however, those plans were completely scuppered; as he was literally ambushed by his best friend; (or as Wallace referred to himself as 'pseudo brother,') as soon as he touched down in Mossdeep on Metagross. He wasn't even going to bother to ask, how the man knew when he was due to arrive home, that was one headache he could live without.

Steven picked up his coffee mug again, before glancing towards Wallace. The gym leader, was sat on the other side of the table with his arms folded, and was giving him a rather dubious, if not unimpressed stare. He couldn't help but sigh, before lowering his mug to the table once again.

"The event went really well. It was nice to see and catch up with the other Champions," Steven responded, with as much energy as he could muster. He' just hoped that his answer would appease the water specialist, so he could get some peace.

Alas, Wallace was not appeased with that answer.

"Oh come on Steven, for Arceus' sake, don't be so vague!" Wallace wailed, as he threw his arms open wide, in a rather flamboyant manner.

Steven couldn't help but be quite...perplexed with his friend's rather sudden obsession with recent events. Recent events being, his latest attendance at the 'Quarterly Champions' Get Together;' or as it had been more aptly named by Alder on that one occasion, 'The Champions' Drinking Party.' _Trust Alder to be blunt; he had no tact sometimes,_ Steven briefly thought, before giving a little inward chuckle; _but then again, he wasn't exactly far off the mark._

But back to the matter at hand.

"May I enquire as to why the sudden intrigue, Wallace? I mean honestly, you're like a Growlithe chasing a bone. You've never taken an interest in my attendance at these events before, so, it baffles me as to why you are now," Steven paused, as he took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, before sighing again. "In fact, I do recall you saying before, that they seemed quite tedious."

Let it be said, Wallace's glare could send any pokemon, or human alike, running for the hills. Thankfully, having known the man since childhood, the glare had little effect on him anymore.

"Honestly Wallace, I fail to see why you are so agitated."

With that, Steven then refocussed his attention on finally finishing the coffee he had made, before it went completely cold and undrinkable.

However, unfortunately for his resolve, Wallace wouldn't let the subject lie.

"Agitated?" Wallace huffed, "Agitated you say?" By this point, Wallace began to become more animated, if the way his arms were waving around was any indication. "Well, I have every right to be!"

 _Ever the dramatist was Wallace._

"I think under the circumstances anyone would be!"

Steven could clearly hear the displeasure in his tone of voice, but he tried to ignore it. However, the silence didn't last for long. _I suppose this is what you get, from having the most flamboyant man in history, as your closest friend._

Wallace huffed again.

"I think you would be too, if an extremely, important event, happened in the life of someone you considered a brother, and they failed to inform you!"

Steven was just about to finish off the remainder of his coffee, when that direct comment came. He froze. _Important event? What in Arceus' sake...hang on. No...Surely not? He couldn't know?_ Steven carefully lowered his mug back to the table, as he gazed impassively at the gym leader sat opposite him.

"Wallace...what in Arceus' sake are you talking about? Important event? What important event?"

Upon hearing his response, the gym leader had ceased his flamboyant gesticulating, as his gaze levelled with his.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about Steven" Wallace replied, as his lips curled up in a little suggestive smirk.

Steven couldn't help but freeze slightly; he knew that face all too well, as he'd seen it far too many times, normally, right before Wallace embarrassed the hell out of him. _He knows something. I know he knows something. But if he does, how does he know?_ Steven nervously thought, before mentally cursing himself. _Now's not the time to be flustered. Now's the time to keep calm, don't show signs of weakness, Wallace feeds off it. He's just fishing, he doesn't know for sure. Use that Champion's composure; you're the 'Steel Champion' for a reason._

"No Wallace, I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea as to what you are implying too."

However, Wallace could read Steven like a book. He'd known him for far too long, and he knew exactly, when his friend was rattled. That calm façade may fool most people; including challengers, but Wallace knew better. Steven was definitely hiding something, and Wallace was determined to get his friend to confess. But the good thing for him was, he now had him, right where he wanted him.

"Oh come now Steven, surely you remember?" He had to give Steven credit, he didn't even flinch. "I mean honestly, how could you forget something so important; that only happened a mere few hours ago, and last night, come to mention it." Wallace could see Steven's composure begin to crack. He smirked as he dealt the final blow. "From what I understand, it was quite memorable, for the both of you."

That did it.

 _Damn it!_ Steven cursed in his mind. _How in the world did he know? How the hell did he find out so fast?_

As Steven's composure completely cracked, Wallace's smirk was now the size of Sootopolis.

"So...am I right?"

Wallace didn't even need to hear Steven's answer. His expressions said it all. Taking one look at Steven's paralysis, wide eyes and steadily growing blush, the gym leader burst into hysteric laughter.

Steven felt his embarrassment flood through him like a Surf attack; _h_ _ow did he know? How was it possible? How?_

After moments of laughing at his friend's rather embarrassed expression, Wallace wiped some of the tears that had overspilled due to his mirth, before continuing to torment Steven further.

"I must say Steven, I'm beyond impressed. I mean, here we all were, thinking that you'd be a bachelor for life, with just a house full of pet rocks for company, but little did we know, that you were actually, harbouring feelings for a certain, blonde haired Champion. And from what my source has told me, the feeling is quite mutual."

Steven couldn't have responded, even if he had tried to find some words. There was just nothing he could say or do, that could adequately describe the mortification he was feeling. It hadn't even been a day, and yet, Wallace had still managed to find out. However, there was that one phrase that kept repeating itself inside his head, like a record with a scratch; _damn you Wallace!_

After moments of no response from the steel Champion, Wallace decided to finally take some pity on him. Steven had never been one to take teasing lightly.

"All teasing aside Steven, I would just like to say, that I'm thrilled for you. You have been single for far, far too long, and I am pleased that you have finally found someone, who shares similar passions to you. In fact, now that I think about it, the two of you do compliment each other. Quite a match, if you ask me."

At the sound of his friend's sincere words, Steven began to calm slightly, before eventually giving the water specialist a small smile of gratitude. However, he should have known that the teasing hadn't quite finished yet, it was Wallace after all. Steven should have seen it coming, especially, when that damn smirk reappeared on Wallace's face.

"Oh...but there is one important thing, that I feel I do have to ask." Wallace paused for effect, before a cheeky smirk appeared over his lips. "How was it?"

Steven couldn't help but turn bright red once again; and unfortunately for him, this only set the annoying gym leader off into another round of laughter at his expense. He'd never felt this mortified in his entire life. How the man could do this to him, was beyond comprehension. What made it worse this time, was the fact, that he had used something, that he had no right to have known; _well...not this soon anyway._ It hadn't even been a day, and yet it seemed; his secret was out; _or rather, their secret was out._

How Wallace had managed to find out about his recent relationship status change still baffled him completely. _How did he know...no one saw us...we were so careful...there was no possible way he could have found out...unless...he got the information off someone...he did mention he had a source...but who...we made sure...but wait...there was something..._ _it couldn't be...it had to be...Diantha you sneaky son of a...she must have followed us...oh hell...Cynthia's going to be pissed._

"You know Steven, if your face gets any redder, you'd surely be mistaken for the top half of a pokeball," he managed to hear Wallace stutter out through his laughter.

Steven lowered his head to the table in despair. Wallace, ' _the traitor_ ,' continued to laugh as he rose from his seat, before patting Steven on the shoulder.

"And that my friend, is exactly why, I was interested."

* * *

 **Well? I think I would be interested as well. I will** **leave it up to your imaginations, as to what they were caught doing.**

 **Got to love Wallace though, his character is** **actually one of the easiest to write for, so I'm sure will be making some more guest** **appearances in some other chapters.**

 **I hope you all didn't mind me updating this chapter, as I read it again and thought, I could write that better. So I hope, it was a tad bit better.**

 **Anyway, that's it for this parody.**

 **Until next time...**


	2. Trying To Impress

**Well I'm back with another short story for you all.**

 **Thanks to those who have left reviews, and to those who have chosen to follow these one shots. I'm very thankful and pleased that other people are finding my work enjoyable. Much appreciated!**

 **Now onto this story, this particular one features both Cynthia and Steven, since only Steven appeared in the first, I thought I'd give you both this time.**

 **I would rate this chapter a T, just to be safe, but I would personally say it's more K+, but better safe than sorry.**

 _ **Steven's thoughts are in italics**_

 **So, as they say, lets get on with the show.**

* * *

To say it was cold was a a major understatement.

 _How in Arceus' sake does one survive this temperature,_ Steven thought, shivering slightly, as he continued his trek through the deep snow that decorated the landscape just outside of Snowpoint City.

"Are you sure you are okay Steven? You really don't look it at present," his companion, the ever observant Sinnoh Champion stated, as she stared concernedly at him.

Cynthia stared at the man walking along beside her, who was, in her opinion, trying valiantly, (but failing miserably,) to seem like the elements weren't affecting him.

Upon hearing the concern in her voice, Steven glanced at her.

"No...I'm fine Cynthia; just a little chilly that's all, but I'll manage."

However, Cynthia wasn't convinced by his facade in the slightest.

"Steven…"

"In fact, we are nearly there by your calculations right?" Steven continued; cutting off whatever Cynthia was going to say. "Then all this will be worth it."

At his words, Cynthia ceased walking, as she shook her head in bewilderment. The man was as stubborn as a Tauros sometimes, especially, when it came to things that threatened his pride; the weather being one of them it seemed.

She couldn't help but sigh, as of lately, he always seemed to be doing this. The man was nothing if not a gentleman, but since they had started this romance, he always seemed to be trying to prove a point; almost like he was trying to impress her, by doing things out of his comfort zone, which in her eyes, was quite ludicrous and ridiculous.

Take now for example; Steven had suggested earlier in the evening that they visit Lake Acuity, as he was convinced that the view was bound to be breathtaking and quite romantic at night in the snow, especially, with it being the festive period. However, Cynthia hadn't been too convinced; not so much with the romantic notion, because it probably would be; but what she was more concerned about, was how Steven would fair in the winter conditions.

And it seemed her previous concerns were indeed correct, if the way he was repressing the urge to shiver was any indication, and yet, here they still were, ankle deep in snow. With regards to herself, being a native to the region meant that the elements didn't really unsettle her. However, with Steven being a Hoenn native, it was no surprise that he was used to a more milder and warmer climate. So for Steven, walking through this snow filled landscape, must have felt like he was taking a stroll in a freezer. Yet, it seemed he was determined to plough ahead anyway, much to Cynthia's chagrin.

The logical explanation it seemed; was that the man had issues with seeing how remarkable he actually was, regardless of his faults. From his gentlemanly ways, to his enthralling personality and caring persona, Cynthia was well aware that she was quite enamoured with him, and that suited her just fine. However, this notion of trying to impress her had to stop. She didn't need grand gestures; she just wanted him; just the way he was.

Failing to notice that the blonde Champion had stopped, Steven strode on a few more paces by himself, completely unaware and deep in thought. _How one can cope with this appalling weather on a regular basis is beyond me, but I have to for Cynthia. She means the world to me and I need to prove to her that she is, and if that means strolling through these torturous conditions, then so be it._

After releasing a soft breath, (which he saw reflected in front of him,) he glanced to his right and finally noticed that the Sinnoh Champion was no longer aside of him. After stopping himself and coming to the conclusion that she must have stopped behind him, Steven began to turn around in order to locate his missing girlfriend.

However, he hadn't took into consideration the effect that walking through all that snow, (and in freezing conditions,) had done to his body. The unforgiving cold numbness had set into both of his feet and legs with a vengeance, therefore causing the lower half of his body to not function properly. Of course, as he began to turn around, this little misjudgement; caused him to lose his balance; ultimately causing him to fall back first, into the snow with a squelch. If he thought he was cold before, was painstakingly beyond freezing now. _Oh how wonderful._

From her vantage point, Cynthia froze in shock, as her mouth dropped open, as she saw her boyfriend swivel, and then take a rather spectacular fall, back first into the snow.

"Steven!" she shouted.

After finally recovering some sense of movement, she dashed over to where her boyfriend was, quite literally, sprawled on his back, half-buried in the snow.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern, as she lowered herself to a kneeling position by the side of him.

Steven saw the concern written across her face. He gave her a little smile in reassurance.

"Just swell," he stuttered, before making an effort to get up. Unfortunately, his limbs didn't want to seem to comply with his command. "Although, I will definitely need some assistance in getting up."

Cynthia sighed, before reaching out to grasp both of his hands in hers, as she rose to her feet.

With an almighty tug, Steven managed to manoeuvre himself out of the snow and onto his feet again. Back to his full height, he gave a grateful smile.

"Thanks. It looks like I misjudged that movement a little," Steven managed to stutter out between chattering teeth. "But regardless, I'm fine to continue on." _Although, if he was being totally honest, he could already feel the stiffness from the cold beginning to set in completely._

Cynthia couldn't help but give another sigh. That was it; she was going to end these delusions he had right now, before he made himself seriously ill. With that in mind, she removed her hands from his; lifting them to lock around his neck; before yanking his head downwards, in order to place a passionate kiss onto his cold, chapped lips.

Steven froze momentarily at her rather hasty movement, but was quick to recover, as he retuned her affection, by snaking his arms around her waist, before relaxing into her kiss. He could instantly feel the warmth she provided beginning to seep through her body and into his. He pulled her closer. She responded, instantly, as she stepped closer, before her arms tightened around his neck.

After what felt like an eternity, (which in reality had only been about two minutes,) they both parted, leaving them both breathless.

Once she had recovered enough substantial oxygen, Cynthia sighed, as she glanced downwards.

"Steven," she began, before taking a deep breath. "Please stop with these notions of trying to impress me. I know you feel like you have to make these grand gestures, but believe me when I say, you really do not need to. You impress me everyday, just by being yourself." She lifted her head in order to once again stare into his eyes.

However, as she did, she could see; that behind that polished steel colour, he still wasn't convinced. So she martyred on.

"Steven, you are a truly amazing man and a wonderful boyfriend." She tightened her arms around his neck again. "So what if you can't handle being in cold weather; it doesn't matter to me, because you impress me everyday by just being yourself. I mean there's your intelligence; your gentlemanly ways; your caring tendencies; your charming personality; need I go on? I mean, the list is endless."

She leaned up to lightly peck him on the lips again.

"Regardless of your faults Steven; you are perfect, just the way you are, even if you don't think you are." Then she smiled that breathtaking smile; that lit up her entire face. "I don't need grand displays and gestures to make me happy. You make me happy, just by being you. Never doubt yourself Steven, because I love you just the way you are; and I wouldn't trade you for anything."

After taking both her words, and her bright expression; that clearly reflected all of the love and affection she held for him; Steven felt that uncontrollable happiness fill him up, as warmth spread through him like a raging wildfire; before a content smile speed across his lips.

"If that is what you so desire my dear, then I shall adhere to your wishes," he replied, before he dropped his forehead to rest against hers. "My only ever concern has been to make you happy, but you say you are content as is, then so shall I be. I love you too Cynthia, and from this day forward, I shall just be plain old me."

Time seemed to stop, as they continued to stand there, forehead-to-forehead, gazing lovingly into into each other's eyes. Everything around them ceased to exist; until Steven gave a shiver. Only then did they seem return to reality.

Cynthia slowly removed her forehead from his, as she leaned up to give him another quick peck on the lips, before releasing her hands from around his neck.

"I think love, we need to get you warmed up, before you catch hypothermia." She reached for his right hand, before interlocking her fingers together with his. A small smirk spread across her lips, as she gazed at him. "And I know exactly, just what to do."

Upon hearing those words, Steven felt himself being dragged by their entwined hands, back towards the Snowpoint pokemon centre, and the warmth of their shared quarters and her loving arms.

 _Well looks like I won't be cold for much longer, and thank heavens for that!_

* * *

 **Well there you have it, hope it wasn't to disastrous.** **I have the notion that Hoenn would have a warmer climate, I mean especially with Mt. Chimney and the lack of anything ice or snow related, (oh apart from Regice I suppose,) but maybe that's just me? Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope they weren't too OOC.**

 **Anyway, until next time.**


	3. Father Knows

**Welcome back again everyone!**

 **Thanks for your continued support, it is highly appreciated.**

 **With regards to this story, please give** **a warm welcome to our next guest appearance; Mr Stone, a.k.a, Steven's father and is a stand alone, although, you could link it to being in the same universe as Chapter 1.**

 **Pretty self explanatory this story, so won't say much more.**

 **Rating K+, as there** **is nothing content wise, that can be considered above this rating.**

 ** _Mr Stone's thoughts are in italic._ **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mr Stone couldn't help the slight bemusement that overcame him; due to the situation he was currently witnessing.

Earlier, he had been just about to sit for a late breakfast at the Devon Co-operation building, when he was graced to an unexpected, yet welcome visit from his son, and heir to the company, Steven Stone.

It wasn't unusual for his son to pop in unannounced, but when he did, it was always a welcome surprise. Heck, he was lucky to see him at all sometimes. Steven liked travelling and had always been restless, even when he was a child. He'd always been enthralled by what beauty and knowledge the world had to offer.

Although, he couldn't really blame his son for adventuring, in fact, he'd always encouraged it. To be fair, if he was being brutally honest, he was also a tad bit envious, because he'd been like that once, until he started up Devon; after that, work just seemed to overtake his life. He couldn't help but sigh wistfully at the memories; _he supposed being_ _CEO of a major company, did have its drawbacks._

Mr Stone shook his head slightly, in order to clear away those thoughts, before refocussing on the matter at hand. After observing his son, who had been sitting directly opposite him throughout breakfast, he'd noticed that Steven seemed to have a sort of glow around him, in fact, his son seemed overly...well...exuberant, joyful, and dare he say, happy today.

That wasn't to say that Steven was generally a miserable or broody person, far from it; he'd brought his son up to be better than that. However, when it came to expressing emotions, Steven usually kept them well in check and under wraps. Even as a child, he'd managed to keep his feelings under control.

Mr Stone could clearly remember many times, when he'd had to literally, 'pull teeth,' in order to get his son to open up and tell him anything. So, in current circumstances, to see his son this expressive seemed...well...unusual and a little out of character, and this is exactly why, he felt bemused.

After finishing off the remainder of his breakfast, Mr Stone had lowered his utensils to the table, before he instantly froze, at a most unusual sound coming from across the table . _Humming?_

With that thought, he raised his head away from his empty plate, in order to gaze at his son in amazement. _Yep, there was no doubt about it..._ The melodically sound was humming and shockingly, it was coming from his son. _Well there was one for his memoires; he'd never thought he'd see the day._

"You are unusually chipper this morning Steven," he asked, after clearing his throat in order to gain his son's attention, before raising his right eyebrow suspiciously in the process. "Is there anything that I should know about?"

At his words, the humming instantly ceased, as Steven lowered his utensils and raised his gaze to meet his.

"Well why shouldn't I be? It is a rather splendid day father. The company seems to be steady from what you have just told me, the weather seems to be improving every day; it seems that there aren't any pressing issues plaguing me at the present, and the region seems to be at peace. What isn't there to be happy about?"

With that, Steven began to hum softly again, while grabbing his empty mug from the table, before rising from his chair, in order to head towards the coffee machine in the corner of the room for a refill.

Mr Stone couldn't deny; that what he had said was most probably true; however, despite that, he still wasn't convinced by his son's façade. In his experience, there tended to be only one reason why any person would be that joyous. He should know; he had had that experience once.

It seemed that his son, even though he was outwardly expressing his happiness, he was obviously, still not too keen on sharing his source of happiness, so to say. But little did Steven know, that he already had inside information regarding the reason for his current happiness, courtesy of the Sootopolis gym leader, Wallace. Wallace had been like a second son to him, and it was no surprise that the man would inform him immediately, of any news with relation to his son; this being no different. _Well my boy, you are in for the shock of your life._

"So, Steven;" he paused for dramatic effect. "How is Cynthia?"

There was a sudden distinct crash of china hitting the floor; then utter silence.

Steven had been just about to reach the coffee machine, when the not so innocent question came. The abruptness, plus the content of the question, was so shocking to the man, it caused him to stumble over his own feet and nearly crash, head first, into the coffee machine itself. If it weren't for his fast reflexes and literally, dropping the mug in order to free his hands, he probably would have.

From his vantage point at the table, Mr Stone had to seriously resist the urge to burst into fits of laughter at his son's clumsy movements.

Whilst trying to control the mirth he was feeling at the whole ridiculous scene, by this point, Steven had whirled around to face him. The rather shocked expression, the quite prominent colour loss to his face, and the way that he couldn't seem to form any sort of coherent words at all, didn't make the situation any better for him, in fact, it made it even more hilarious.

"How…but…you…" Steven managed to stutter out.

Mr Stone had to admit, Wallace was right; _it was damn hilarious and quite entertaining to see his son so flustered_. He should have felt slightly guilty, _but then again, what are parents for, if not to embarrass their children?_

"So...I take it she is well then?"

He couldn't help but smile at Steven's continuous failure to form any sort of answers; _his son never did react well when flustered._ With that in mind, he rose from his chair, and made his way over to his still, paralyzed son, before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Well, I am of course pleased for you my boy," he stated, before giving a little chuckle. "I've heard nothing but good things about her and I'm sure, you both have a lot of things in common. I'm quite thrilled for you son, and I have to say, it's about time." And with that, Mr Stone stepped on past his son, heading for the door.

However, just as he was about to pass through the doorway, a thought seemed to pass through his mind. He stopped, before once again turning to face his son.

"Oh, before I forget." He waited until Steven turned to face him once again. (When he did, Mr Stone could see some of the colour had been returning to his son's face.) He smirked. "You do realize, that now that you are together, this means you will have to invite her here for dinner, so you can properly introduce her don't you? In fact, I'm looking forward to the occasion, especially, as it gives me a chance to speak with her."

He winked once; waited for the colour to dramatically vanish from Steven's face once more, before turning and exiting through the door.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the rather loud shout that was made a few moments later; that was loud enough to frighten the few Swellows that had been nesting in the trees just outside the Devon Co-Operation building.

"WALLACE!"

* * *

 **And seriously, what are parents for if not to embarrass us?** **Too true.**

 **Poor Steven, he's getting teased again. Wallace seriously has a lot to answer for.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Until the next one...**


	4. Sinnoh Elite Four

**Number 4 already? I'm quite impressed with myself, and for those who are still following, thanks again!**

 **So for this chapter I've decided to give poor Steven a rest from being teased, I now thought it was time for Cynthia's turn.**

 **Special guest appearances by the Sinnoh Elite Four in this chapter; so I welcome Aaron, Lucian, Bertha and of course Flint into the foray.**

 **Story is a stand-alone, but again, with the content, you could potentially say it is in the same timeline as chapter 1 & 3\. Reader's choice on this one. **

_**Cynthia's thoughts are in italics.**_

 **I would say that this chapter is rated T, but once again that's only to be on the safe side, as there isn't really anything too bad in here.**

 **And begin...**

* * *

If there were any one word that could be used to describe the current situation Cynthia walked in on, the word would probably be odd, or maybe suspicious.

Cynthia herself; had only just returned from a much-deserved vacation a few hours ago. After the Sinnoh League Championship had concluded a few weeks ago, she had decided to take a three-week vacation, in order to recover from the stressful occasion, and to also give some overdue attention to her interests, that had had to be put on hold due to the tournament. She had to admit, she had really enjoyed her time away, and felt more relaxed than she had been for a long time.

When she had returned to the headquarters that afternoon, she was greeted by her fellow living companions, the Sinnoh Elite Four, but only briefly, as she had excused herself to freshen up after a rather long journey. She had informed her colleagues that she would catch up with them all at dinner, which was now where she found herself in this rather odd situation.

After freshening up and unpacking, she had made her way down to dinner. However, as she was approaching the dining room, she could hear her colleagues having, what appeared to be a rather animated conversation, if judging by the sound of their voices was any indication. She couldn't quite make out any of the conversation, but as soon as she approached the doorway, it immediately ceased, almost as if, they knew she was close by.

She suspected Lucian's sixth sense had alerted the others to her presence. Being a psychic master, Lucian had learned one or two things about psychic abilities from his pokemon, and now he had this rather uncanny ability, to sense when someone or something was close by. It had come in handy on plenty of occasions in the past, but on this specific occasion, it was a little too suspicious in her opinion.

Not to be deterred by this, she strode forward into the dining room and was met by her fellow colleagues sat around the table.

"Good evening everyone," Cynthia politely greeted as she strode in and took the vacant seat next to Lucian, on the right hand side of the table.

"Good evening Cynthia," Bertha greeted with a gentle smile from the head of the table. Bertha, being the oldest member of the group, was a sort of group mother so to say. She was a great mentor and role model, and Cynthia respected the woman for it, as did the others, she suspected. Although her greeting wasn't unusual, there was a slight glint in her eye as she said it, that made Cynthia feel slightly uncomfortable, but not enough to question the elder; _I'm sure if Bertha had something to say, she would not hesitate to make her sentiments known,_ Cynthia thought.

Although, the sense of uneasiness remained, especially, when she regarded her other colleagues. Lucian, who had a fork in one hand and a novel in the other, glanced towards her and gave her a polite greeting and a nod, before returning to his book. This wasn't unusual for the psychic master, the guy loved to read, an interest that Cynthia could attest to, however, the way that he seemed to be staring at the page rather than reading it, was a bit suspicious.

Then there was Aaron, who was sitting diagonally across from her. It seemed the boy was fascinated with his plate, (even though it was currently empty) for some reason. He hadn't raised his head once since she entered, even when he gave his usual polite greeting. The boy was known for being usually quiet and reserved, but the fact that he hadn't looked up once, was a tad bit ridiculous.

That just left the last member of the team, who sat directly opposite her. Flint was actually giving her a little smirk, which Cynthia found to be the most unnerving out of them all. Add to the fact; that he hadn't uttered much of anything since she had entered, apart from a greeting, was a massive red flag to her. The fire trainer was known for being quite boisterous and chatty, but his sudden muteness and smirk, was especially disconcerting.

 _No doubt about it, there is definitely something going on, and it seems that I'm not privy to it. Was it something that happened while I was away?_ Cynthia thought as she took in the suspicious behaviour of her colleagues; the way that they were acting, just sort of confirmed it for her _._

However, she brushed the feeling aside, as she began helping herself to the delicacies on offer for dinner. _No matter, I'm sure they will make their sentiments known sooner rather than later._

* * *

Dinner progressed steadily and quietly; _a little_ _too quietly,_ Cynthia thought to herself. Even though it was polite to not talk while eating, there had been many occasions where conversation had taken place before during meals, however, it seemed like no one was willing to break the silence, it was like they were all keeping quiet for a reason.

Furthermore, Cynthia wasn't exactly blind to notice, the subtle little glances that the other four were sharing, especially, when they thought she wasn't looking. If she was being honest, it was starting to annoy her. This sort of behaviour she would expect from Flint, but the other three surprised her. She couldn't shake the fact that she was definitely missing something, and that she was the centre of whatever it was; that had her colleagues acting the way they were, _I will get to the bottom of this,_ she decided.

After finishing the last of her meal, Cynthia lowered her utensils to the table, dabbed her mouth with her serviette, and then decided to break the deafening silence.

"So, how has everything been?"

Lucian glanced over the top of his book, while Aaron lifted his gaze for a second, before returning it almost instantly back to the table, while Flint and Bertha seemed to be caught up in some sort of mini staring competition, as if daring the other to speak.

 _This is getting beyond ridiculous,_ Cynthia thought frustratingly. She was just about to demand what was going on, when Bertha cleared her throat and removed her gaze from Flint.

"Everything has been quite fine here dear. Nothing untoward has happened, and there haven't been any issues during your absence. In fact, our vacation time has been quite uneventful…"

"And sure as hell not as interesting as yours I'm sure," Flint blurted out, immediately cutting off anything else Bertha wanted to say. That smirk was back on his face again, and if Cynthia didn't know better, she would say that Flint was trying to be subtle about something.

Flint's expression soon changed to a look of pain and annoyance, when it seemed that Aaron had decided in that moment, to kick him in the shin under the table. Flint turned to glare at the boy next to him.

"Hey what the hell was that for? C'mon you all were thinking it, I just happened to say it."

"Subtle Flint," Aaron answered, as he finally raised his head to glare back at the fire trainer.

"Subtle? Seriously? At what point have any of us been subtle here? We haven't exactly been subtle since our champ here returned," Flint exclaimed, before glancing at the other members of the Elite Four. "Have we?" When none of the others replied, Flint nodded to himself before returning his gaze back towards Cynthia. "So champ, how was your vacation with…Ouch! Will you stop kicking me!"

This time it was Lucian that had decided to intervene, much to Flint's agitation.

"What Flint is unsuccessfully trying to ask, is how did your vacation to Hoenn go?" Lucian asked, as he lowered his book to the table and shot a glare towards the fire trainer.

Cynthia actually felt quite bemused by the whole exchange. It wasn't that uncommon for these antics to take place, especially, when it involved Flint. She was just about to answer Lucian's question, but was interrupted by a very agitated Flint.

"I wasn't unsuccessfully trying to say anything, bookworm. I was merely getting to the point, unlike the rest of you, who are too scared to ask outright."

"We aren't scared; its just there are subtle ways of asking things Flint, and that's not one of them," Aaron bit back, while Lucian nodded his head in agreement.

"Oh yeah, bug boy? If you've got a better way…"

"Now, now children," Bertha exclaimed, with a voice of authority, that was usually heard from people, who were reprimanding naughty children.

The table fell into silence once again, with the three men glaring at each other. (Well, more like Lucian and Aaron glaring at Flint, and the fire trainer splitting his time glaring between the both of them.)

By this point, Cynthia was quite astonished by the current antics of her colleagues. It seemed that her theory had been correct; she was the reason why they were all acting strangely, but not for the reason she had first thought. It had nothing to do with anything happening in Sinnoh, oh no, they were far more interested in something, with regards to her vacation, and at the way Flint was talking; something that none of them should have known about; and to be frank, something that she didn't want them to know about either, just yet.

 _Although, I could just be slightly paranoid,_ Cynthia thought; but with her colleague's current strange behaviour, she felt she had to check, just to be sure.

"My vacation to Hoenn was wonderful, as to be expected, as it provided me with the break I needed from here. However, I do get the feeling that there is something in particular that you'd like to know specifically? Because, I am sensing that you are all very unsubtly, hiding the fact that you are intrigued about something."

There was another silent pause before unsurprisingly, Flint was the first to answer.

"As a matter of fact…"

"We are rather intrigued by what you did specifically in Hoenn dear, especially, with regards to what you saw…" Bertha asked, as she cut off Flint this time. "Because I have heard that some of the scenery there, is quite spectacular."

It was the way in which Bertha worded the question; that made Cynthia uneasy. Now she knew it wasn't her imagination. Although the question may have sounded innocent to most, Cynthia knew better, as it was quite common knowledge to her; that Bertha had a penchant for gossip. The big giveaway for Cynthia, was the way in which Bertha had said, 'what you saw,' as if she knew Cynthia had met someone there and then tacked on the scenery part to cover the implication.

 _Damn it! They know,_ Cynthia thought alarmingly, _I bet that's what they were all discussing before I came down for dinner._ It seemed that this was their initial plan all along, to try and subtly get her to admit; that she hadn't spent her time exploring Hoenn alone; but rather spent it with a very important individual; an individual; that meant quite a lot to her and had for many months now.

Cynthia observed the faces of her colleagues, who were now all staring at her curiously, waiting rather patiently for her to finally admit what she had been hiding for quite a while. She sighed.

"How long have you known?"

The look of triumph that passed across Flint's face didn't go unnoticed, but it was Bertha that grabbed her attention by answering first.

"I've personally known for quite a while. The extended vacations, the time spent in your room talking, the constant messages on your pokegear, and the fact that you have been a much happier person these last few months, were all a dead give away, my dear. I may be old, but I'm not blind when it comes to noticing these things."

Her attention was then drawn to Lucian as he cleared his throat.

"To be fair Cynthia, me and Aaron have also known for some time, right Aaron?"

He turned to the young boy, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we kind of figured out you were in a relationship with someone, but we couldn't figure out who, until your sudden change of destination for your vacation, then we sort of took an intelligent guess as to who it was," Aaron responded, but then he nodded towards the man sat next to him. "Although, we were trying to gently enquire about it, unlike Flint here, who has no sense of discretion and subtlety."

"Hey!" Flint exclaimed on hearing Aaron's retort. "Just because I wasn't as quick on the uptake as the rest of you."

"Regardless of the fact dear," Bertha said, drawing Cynthia's attention back to her. "We are all quite happy for you, and we have all vowed to keep it to ourselves, to allow you and Steven to have some privacy, until such a time when you go public with the announcement. Isn't that right gentlemen?" Bertha addressed the males at the table.

Cynthia turned and observed both Lucian and Aaron nodding, but Flint sat there with his arms folded, pouting like a little child.

"Isn't that right Flint?" Bertha reiterated the question, while giving Flint a rather stern glare.

Flint huffed and unfolded his arms.

"Fine, fine. I'll keep it to myself," he responded. "But damn, Volkner's going to kill me when he finds out that I kept this from him."

At that, everyone glared at him as he threw his hands up in surrender.

"What? I said I wasn't going to say anything."

 _Well_ s _o much for keeping it quiet,_ Cynthia thought; as she tuned out Flint's constant assurance; that he was going to keep the secret quiet. She'd known that it was a risk to visit Steven in Hoenn, but their previous plans to meet in Kanto had fallen through last minute, when Steven's father had unexpectedly fallen ill with the flu. Unfortunately, this had meant that Steven was tied to the region, just in case Devon Co-operation needed him for anything, while his father was unavailable. She supposed they could have postponed until another date, but with their champion duties keeping them apart most of the time as it was, they both didn't want to let the opportunity pass by.

Although, what was more alarming about this current situation to Cynthia, was the fact that her colleagues, had all more or less known for a while that she was in a relationship, but it seemed that going to Hoenn, had only confirmed their suspicions on whom she was with. _A_ _pparently, our relationship is the world's worst kept secret,_ Cynthia thought with a sigh.

She was broken from her thoughts, by Flint's little cough.

"Got to say champ, I thought I'd never see the day, you being in a relationship and all. I mean, I'm not saying I'm not happy for you, I mean the guy is quite suited for you, what with him being a champion and sharing similar academic interests with you."

Cynthia thought that was quite a mild comment, considering it was Flint, but then again, she should have known that he wasn't quite finished, especially, when he smirked at her before teasingly asking,

"So, what's it like being with Hoenn's pretty boy? Does the guy rock your world?"

Cynthia turned bright red.

Flint burst into uncontrollable laughter at her blush, while Bertha, Lucian and Aaron shouted in disgust.

"FLINT!"

She could feel the embarrassment flooding through her now. _So this is probably what Steven meant, when he mentioned Wallace and his relentless teasing,_ Cynthia thought dismally. _It seems that Flint is going to be my equivalent to Wallace. Oh, Steven's going to love this._

Cynthia made a promise to herself there and then, she was never going to let Wallace and Flint meet under any circumstances, that was just asking for trouble, _and I'm sure Steven will agree._

* * *

 ** _So there_ _we have it, the Sinnoh Elite Four and their crafty ways, especially Flint, who is another character that is quite easy to write for._**

 ** _I'm sure Cynthia now knows how Steven feels, and most definitely their relationship seems to be the worst kept secret._**

 ** _But that has got me thinking, for a possible future_ _chapter; Flint & Wallace together...oh that's just asking for trouble. _**

**_Until next time._**


	5. Sadistic Humour

**Hello again everyone! Thanks for still hanging on!**

 **So in this chapter we have our star couple; but also guest appearances by Wallace and Alder. For the sake of this particular chapter, Alder is still classed as Unova's champion.**

 **This particular chapter, has no ties to any of the previous chapter's before it. (Who knows though, I may link one to this in the future.)**

 **This particular chapter, also shines a new light on my favourite couple, as I am sure you will find out. The story sort of derived from one particular scene from one of the anime episodes. (Even though, I prefer the game & manga universe-this particular idea was too hard not to resist doing.)**

 **Should mention there is also a tiny mention of Graceful shipping but only one line.**

 **I'd put the rating at T, but again that's only as a precaution.**

 **Without further ado...**

* * *

Steven clenched his right fist tighter, while his left hand twitched over his pokeball's; that were clipped onto the belt underneath his jacket. He couldn't control the mass surge of jealousy and anger that was surging through him, it seemed Alder was at it again.

* * *

It was the annual Pokemon League Festive Ball, and all members of the sanctioned leagues' were all in attendance, that included all gym leaders, elite four and champions. This was where Steven had found himself sat, on the corner side of the bar, to the right hand side of the Sinnoh Champion, (and his secret girlfriend,) Cynthia.

With the current event being held in Kanto, Steven had arranged to meet Cynthia at the event, so as to not arouse any suspicion. He'd caught up with her inside, after spotting her discussing her recent historical publication with Grimsley. After a friendly greeting, (with both wishing for a more private one,) he had offered to buy her a drink, and that's how they found themselves sat at the bar.

After finishing off one drink, Steven had excused himself from Cynthia, in order to use the restroom. As he was returning, he found that none other than the Unvoa champion, Alder, had taken his seat; and from the looks of it, he was vying for Cynthia's affections; again.

Alder was known for being quite the shameless flirt. Although, many found it quite amusing to watch, especially, when he was shot down. But Alder took it all in good stead, especially, with the way he would laugh at himself for failing. Harmless was the word that was used more often than not.

For all these claims though, that Alder was 'a harmless flirt,' it seemed; that he did have a strong interest in pursuing the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia. Every time Alder was in her presence, he would try to monopolize her time, in an attempt to try and cajole her into attending a date with him. And this was exactly why, the usually placid Hoenn champion, was so riled up.

Steven believed he had every right to be riled up, especially, since Alder was trying so intently, on winning the affections of his girlfriend. Of course, Alder didn't know that vital bit of information, as both he and Cynthia, had decided to try and keep their relationship as private as they could. Although, Steven had argued that some people already knew about them, therefore, what was one more, especially, if it would finally get Alder to stop?

Cynthia had brushed off his comments humorously, and had informed him that she had no intention what so ever of accepting Alder's offers; and that his jealousy at Alder was unjustified, as he knew that she loved him, and only him. She had informed him, that she could handle Alder in her own way, and that he had nothing worry about.

Without a doubt, Steven trusted Cynthia whole heartedly, but the guy just never seemed to quit, especially, after the numerous times Cynthia had made it abundantly clear, that she wasn't interested in the slightest. Take tonight for example, Steven found it frustrating as hell, to not be able to march over there, and tell the Unova champion to get out of his seat and leave his girlfriend alone.

He saw Alder laugh at something, before placing his left hand extremely close to Cynthia's right; that was resting on the bar. Steven couldn't stop the emotions that broke loose inside of him, as his hand twitched over his belt again. He was about ten seconds away from calling out Metagross, and having his loyal partner blast Alder into next week. If it weren't for Wallace, throwing his arm around his shoulder at that specific point, he probably would have.

Wallace took one glance at Steven's face.

"Well you're looking quite stern and tense, my friend. I haven't seen you this riled up in a long time, not since we took down teams Magma and Aqua in fact. Is something the matter?"

Steven didn't answer him, as he shifted in annoyance at the scenario that he was witnessing in front of him.

Wallace took note of his friend's rather stern glare, before allowing his gaze to follow in the same path. When he finally caught sight of what his friend seemed to be glaring at, a knowing look flashed across his face.

"Oh. Now I understand," Wallace stated. "It seems he's at it again huh?"

Steven still didn't verbally respond, but Wallace could feel his friend's shoulders tighten in agitation under the arm he still had slung over his shoulder. Wallace smirked at the reaction. He was actually one of the select few people that knew about Steven and Cynthia's relationship, and he certainly knew about Steven's frustration with Alder's pursuit of Cynthia. He couldn't say how many times he had had to listen to Steven rant about the Unova champion.

Wallace couldn't blame Steven though. He'd never seen his friend so happy, until he started dating Cynthia; and Wallace could clearly tell; that his friend was in love. So, he could clearly understand, how it would be frustrating for Steven, not to be able to just march over there and tell Alder to back off, especially, with the couple vowing to keep their relationship as private as possible. Wallace could sympathize; he couldn't say what he would do if someone tried to pursue his fiancée Winona.

"He just doesn't quit does he?" Wallace asked, as he turned back to face Steven. With the way that Steven was glaring, Wallace was surprised Alder couldn't feel it. If Steven could shoot lasers from those eyes, Alder would have had his head burnt through by now. Wallace sighed, and removed his arm from around Steven's shoulders. "So I take it that Cynthia still doesn't want you to intervene?"

"Yes," Steven finally answered, quite abruptly. "She says she can handle it herself, and that I shouldn't be worried."

However, Wallace could see the internal struggle within his friend, by the tightening of his jaw.

"Plus, she believes that I may try something drastic if I do decide to intervene, therefore, she suggested it would be wise if I didn't."

Wallace couldn't help but laugh at that. Upon hearing the gym leader's laughter, Steven turned his glare towards him and raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"I don't find the situation amusing Wallace," Steven exclaimed sternly.

Wallace stopped his laughter and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Well you have to admit, in one sense, it actually is."

Steven still wasn't amused, as his jaw tensed again.

Wallace couldn't help but see the funny side, because it seemed Steven, wasn't quite seeing the obvious. However, he decided to slightly placate the storm gathering around his friend.

"If you look at it this way, Cynthia is actually doing you a massive favour, and yet you are failing to see the obvious, because the both of you, are quite sadistic in your own minds, even though you both won't admit it. "

Steven's eyes flashed with annoyance again, and he was just about to make his sentiments known, when Wallace cut him off abruptly.

"Don't deny it Steven, I mean I can just imagine what scenario's you are concocting inside that brilliant mind of yours, with regards to this. I mean let's face it, what sane man wouldn't; when it came to someone they loved? But if you stop to think about it logically, you say Cynthia is concerned about you taking rather bold, drastic actions? Well, isn't that what she's doing, but in a more subtle way? In fact, what she's actually doing; is far worse than what any physical or verbal assault could do."

Wallace raised his left eyebrow at Steven, expecting his friend to grasp the concept at what he was implying, and provide him with an appropriate answer.

However, Steven had no idea as to what he was implying. Some of the annoyance had now turned into confusion, as he stared blankly at the gym leader.

"Humiliation my friend. Good old-fashioned humiliation," Wallace chuckled, while patting Steven on the back. "There's nothing worse than being humiliated my friend, it's the worse form of torture. And that is exactly what Cynthia is doing, right now. She's letting Alder dig himself into his own grave, so to say. Think about it, even though she is rejecting his advances, she still sits there, why is that?"

When Steven still failed to come up with an answer, Wallace shook his head in bewilderment. For all his brilliance, sometimes Steven could be clueless.

"The reason for that my clueless friend, is because she is enjoying tormenting the man. And I would bet my entire wardrobe, that she is waiting for you to actually take note of what she is doing and join in. Yes, she was afraid of you taking drastic actions; she said nothing about subtle ones. She's handling it in her own sadistic way alright; and she is waiting for you to enlist into the game," Wallace clarified, with a chuckle.

Wallace watched, as his friend began to absorb the information. It seemed like Steven was finally getting it, if the flash of recognition in his eyes, and the subtle little smirk beginning to appear was anything to go by.

"Well, I do have a penchant for playing games," he remarked in a sinister tone, which caused Wallace to chuckle again. "So, if you will excuse me Wallace, there's somewhere I need to be," Steven excused himself, as he turned, and began making his way back to the bar.

He'd just taken a few steps, before he heard Wallace call out to him. He stopped, and turned sideways to face his friend once again.

"Oh, and remember this Steven; sometimes the mind is the most affective tool that we have, you more than anyone knows that, so use it. And remember, as the saying goes, revenge is indeed sweet."

Steven gave Wallace a little smile, before turning back around and striding confidently back to the bar.

As he was approaching, he could hear Alder clearly,

"…and besides beauty like yours shouldn't be wasted alone."

Around five minutes ago, if he had heard that, he probably would have punched Alder in the face, but as of now, his priorities had changed.

It was at that moment, that Cynthia finally looked up and caught her eyes with his. She smiled before greeting him.

"Welcome back Steven. What took you so long?" she enquired with a raise of her eyebrow.

At that, Alder finally stopped talking, and glanced behind him to see Steven's arrival.

"Ah! Mr Stone, good to see you," Alder greeted pleasantly, but Steven could tell by his body language, that he wasn't really pleased at all; that he'd interrupted.

"Well greetings Alder, long time no see, " he greeted, with false enthusiasm and a fake smile, as he came to a stop in front of the seated champions.

Alder didn't seem to notice, but Cynthia did. She knew her boyfriend all too well, and she had to resist the urge to chuckle at his expression.

"So, what are we discussing this evening?" Steven asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Alder was just explaining to me, how beauty can be a torturous thing," Cynthia spoke up.

"Really?" Steven questioned, with a glance to Cynthia, who nodded her head in affirmation. "How do you figure that Alder?" Steven enquired, as he turned his curious gaze back to the Unova champion.

Alder scratched the back of his neck, before giving a nervous chuckle.

"Well, it makes sense don't it? I mean, they say that beauty kills the beast? And all those classic tragedies, where beauty has had a hand in. It can even drive people mad!"

"Fascinating, and here I thought that torturing one's mind, was the worst kind of torment that a person could suffer," Steven answered, with a hint of sarcasm laced within.

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly, as she glanced towards Steven, who gave her a little smirk. She gave a little smirk of her own, it seemed, that he'd finally caught on to what she was doing. She'd have to thank Wallace later. She'd seen him talking to Steven moments before, through the corner of her eye, and she was sure it was the gym leader; that had finally got the message through to her boyfriend.

She could hear Steven clear his throat before continuing.

"In fact, I've heard that humiliation, could be classed as one of the worst form of torments."

Cynthia had to restrain herself from bursting into laughter.

Sadistic, they didn't know the meaning of the word.

* * *

 **And there we have it. A new side to our power couple. They may be quite pleasant people, but I believe that everyone has a sadistic side, even if they don't want to admit it.**

 **Apologies to any Alder fans out there. I don't dislike the guy, but his personality just suited the part.**

 **And kudos to any of you that guessed what anime scene I was talking about. If not, it's the scene where Alder asks Cynthia out to dinner, and she instantly declines. Got to love that scene.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, until next time.**


	6. Iris

**Hello and welcome back everyone! If you are still following these one shots, then I appreciate your efforts. Also, it should be noted that, I do take requests, if you have any ideas for me, drop me a private message of what you would like to see, and I will do my best to make that happen for you. No promises that it'd be any good, but I would try my best.**

 **So with regards to this story,** **as the title suggests, the young** **Iris is our guest appearance. Please note, that her character in this is based solely around the game version of her persona. So, for this particular one shot, she is** **now the 12 year old champion of Unova. (So, in other words, B &W2 era.)**

 **I'd also like to mention that Diantha does make a guest appearance, but only briefly towards the end.**

 **Don't think this particular story ties in with any of the previous one shots. So, I'm classing it as a one shot.**

 **I would rate it T again, but I really think K+ would be more appropriate, but I would rather be safe than sorry.**

 ** _Cynthia's thoughts are in italics_**

 **And here we go...**

* * *

It was a Monday afternoon, and Cynthia found herself sitting in Unova's League Headquarters, with Unova's young champion, Iris.

Iris had called her, and fellow colleague Diantha last week, to see if they could come visit her. The young girl had only been a champion for a few short months; and with the Unova Championship only a few weeks away, she had wanted them to come and help her settle into her rather new, daunting role.

Cynthia had agreed instantly. Diantha had also agreed, but was unfortunately detained by her film shoot overrunning, but she was due to arrive anytime now.

Cynthia found it quite refreshing and enlightening to finally have another female champion to talk to, because lets face it; before her introduction, the majority of the other regions had male champions. Diantha had told her once, that it was like being in a 'boy's club,' before she had arrived.

However, this had changed, and it now seemed that the ratio of men to women champions was balancing out, especially, with Iris now holding the Unova title. Not only that, Cynthia firmly believed that this development would encourage more female trainers to follow this path in the future.

However, back to the present; the young girl had seemed quite eager to speak with them both, more so than any of the others, or even Alder himself, whom she had beaten to take the title. She had told Cynthia and Diantha in confidence; that she felt with them both being females, they would understand her better than the men would. Iris had gone on to explain; that she hadn't implied that the male champions were unhelpful, in fact, they were all pretty decent guys, but she felt that men could be confusing, and quite awkward to talk to.

Cynthia had to admit though; the girl had a valued point. Iris was still pretty young and naïve in Cynthia's opinion, so understanding the male species was still a mystery to her at the moment. _She'll learn,_ Cynthia thought with an inward chuckle. However, Cynthia could tell that, underneath that rather youthful exterior, the young girl seemed to be quite wise. She had to admit; she could see traces of her younger self in Iris.

"I'm so glad you both could make it, even though Diantha hasn't arrived yet," Iris excitedly exclaimed.

Cynthia smiled at the girl's enthusiasm.

"Well I'm happy to be here. I'm honoured that you asked for our help, and that you are willing to let us assist you in any way we can," Cynthia replied.

"Yep. Wouldn't have it any other way," the young girl responded, with a shrug of her shoulders. "No offence to the guys, they are all great, but I find them not that easy to interact with."

Cynthia had gathered that was the case, but she was intrigued to hear Iris' opinions on her fellow male colleagues.

"I can certainly understand your thinking; men and women do tend to have a better understanding of their own gender…" Cynthia remarked before continuing, "…but I am intrigued as to what your opinions are of our male colleagues, if you don't mind me asking?"

Iris looked towards Cynthia with a thoughtful gaze.

"Well, my opinion's differ on each of them." Iris again shrugged her shoulders before, screwing up her face in concentration.

"Well, if we start with Red, I guess he's alright. I mean; he is closer in age to me than the rest of you. I can't deny he's a prolific battler, his skills are awesome, I could probably learn a lot from him, especially, since he was around my age when he became champion," Iris explained.

Cynthia sensed there was a 'but' coming; and she wasn't disappointed.

"But he doesn't say anything! Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I often wonder sometimes if he can actually speak at all," the young girl whined.

To be fair, Cynthia could sympathize. The Kanto champion was quite a mysterious, young teenage boy, who tended to keep to his own company. The boy was always polite with his actions, but like Iris had said, he was way too quiet. Even Cynthia had trouble recalling ever hearing the young boy speak.

"I can see your reasoning on that one," Cynthia agreed. "But what about Lance?"

She could see Iris' eyes widen in alarm.

"Lance? No way, he's beyond scary, even though he has awesome dragon pokemon," Iris answered, giving a little shudder for effect. "What with the way he dresses, the sound of his voice, and how strict his commands and behaviour are? He frightens me."

Cynthia gave a light chuckle at that. She had thought, that with Lance having a wide range of dragons amongst his team, Iris would have been less hesitant in approaching him, but then again, she could understand how his strict persona and appearance could scare a younger person.

"I guess he can be a little intimidating." She watched as Iris nodded in affirmation. "Alright then, what about Steven?"

"Steven? Oh, he's all right I suppose. He's the most approachable of the guys that's for sure," Iris answered with another shrug. "But, I feel that his attention is always focussed elsewhere at the meetings though, like he's distracted all the time."

"Really?" Cynthia replied with intrigue.

"Yep," Iris replied, while giving a little nod.

"Well, that's an interesting perspective," Cynthia responded, when it appeared the girl wasn't going to elaborate. "I suppose it's to be expected though, what with him being heir to a massive company. And I suppose, with all his travelling to search for rare stones…"

However, Iris cut her short by giving a little snort and a shake of her head.

"No silly, I didn't mean it with regards to focussing on those things, outside of the meetings."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow and stared at the girl in confusion.

"Well, what are you…"

"What I meant was, that he always seems to be distracted and pre-occupied within the meetings, with you," Iris replied, while pointing a finger at her.

Cynthia was stunned, she could feel her eyes widening and a blush forming, as Iris continued,

"I mean, he always sits by you, and is always glancing at you during the meetings. He values your opinion more so than any of the others, and is always fascinated by whatever you are saying. Plus, he's always close to you, wherever you are, he's there, and you always leave the meetings together."

Cynthia was speechless. She thought that she must have looked like a Magikarp out of water, what with her mouth opening and closing and with no signs of any coherent words being formed. But Iris wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"I mean it's no big deal right? You guys are…what's the phrase…in a relationship right? So I guess those things are to be expected." She smiled, and lowered her hand back to her lap, all the while looking at the still stupefied Sinnoh champion.

How the young girl figured out this piece of information was beyond Cynthia's comprehension. _The kid was 12! 12 for heaven's sake!_ At that age, Cynthia wouldn't even have given a relationship a single thought, let alone indentify feelings for the opposite sex. In fact, she never would have given a guy a first glance at that age. In all honesty, it was only upon meeting Steven, that she had finally considered the aspect, and she was in her early 20's then.

Regarding her earlier thought about Iris being naïve and innocent, she took it back. The girl wasn't as clueless as she made herself out to be.

It was then at that moment, that Diantha finally made her appearance, as she entered through the doorway. Both of them glanced in her direction as she made her way over.

"Good afternoon, sorry I'm late…" Diantha greeted, but quickly trailed off as she observed the obvious flush on Cynthia's face, and the rather serene and bewildered look on Iris'. "Did something happen?" she enquired.

Cynthia still couldn't find her voice. However, unfortunately for her, Iris had no such affliction.

"I think I may have embarrassed Cynthia," the Unova champion replied to Diantha's open question.

"Oh?" Diantha questioned, raising her left eyebrow in the process.

"Yeah. We were mentioning the other champions, and I decided to give my opinions on them. I said how Red was too quiet, and that Lance was scary!" Iris exclaimed.

Diantha gave a little chuckle at that, before Iris continued with a beaming smile,

"…then I mentioned that Steven was the nicest and most approachable man, but that he was always too pre-occupied with her in the meetings. Then she went quiet and started doing this rather awesome Magikarp expression."

Diantha couldn't help the bubble of laughter that erupted from her. She then glanced at Cynthia with a smirk, before returning her attention back to Iris.

"Oh, is that so? Well then Iris, you must tell me everything, because I am most intrigued to hear this," she said, before walking over to sit in the unoccupied chair next to the young girl.

Cynthia turned bright red once again and shot a glare at Diantha, who completely ignored her, as she kept her eyes on the Unova champion.

"Okay, well…" Iris began, but Cynthia tuned their voices out, to avoid hearing it over again. She felt like she was an extra in one of Diantha's movies. She was there, but had no lines, while the main actresses' took centre stage.

It was embarrassing enough the first time, but now Iris had gone and started repeating it, to Diantha of all people, the biggest gossip amongst the champions. It wasn't as if Diantha didn't already know about her and Steven, she did. In fact, she was close to being one of the first, after she caught her and Steven in a rather…compromising position, so to say, after one of the champions' meetings; an embarrassing situation that both her and Steven wanted to forget.

After that discovery, they had had to literally bribe Diantha into keeping it quiet. However, that didn't stop the Kalos champion from teasing them at every given opportunity, _and it seemed that this was going to be one of those occasions,_ Cynthia thought dismally. To make matters worse, it seemed that Diantha had a little ally in that area now.

Cynthia turned her gaze back towards Iris, and observed how the young girl was enthusiastically recalling the conversation to Diantha. That was all they needed, an over zealous and excitable 12 year old girl to keep in line. She wondered how Steven was going to take the news. _He isn't going to be thrilled that's for sure,_ Cynthia thought with a sigh. The man had enough to worry about as it was, especially, with trying to keep his flamboyant friend in Hoenn from blurting it out.

Cynthia refocused her attention on the two gossips, and observed the excitement and amusement etched across Diantha's face. _I think I better tell him sooner, rather than later,_ Cynthia decided _._

It was at that moment, that Diantha glanced at her and gave a little wink, before refocusing her attention on Iris. She mentally sighed, _the sooner the better._

* * *

 **Well what do you all think? Iris the little sneak.**

 **I actually enjoyed writing this one, even though Steven wasn't there.**

 **I do believe that** **youngsters can be this observant and they can be smart. They may perceive to be clueless, but they aren't. And this is the way I see Iris, I mean she has to have some sort of intelligence** **to become champion right? And I do see Diantha as being a gossiper, I don't know, it's just something about her character. (Maybe because she's a celebrity perhaps?)**

 **Also, apologies if I offended anyone with the descriptions of the other champions, Red and Lance. But I tried to view them from a child's perspective and I think it came out okay. (With regards to Red, well he doesn't speak and Lance, he hyper beamed a human being in Heart Gold & Soul Silver for heaven's sake!)**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, because I sure did. Like I mentioned at the start, drop me a message if you'd like to see something specific, and I will do my best to make it happen.**

 **Until next time...**


	7. Enforced Downtime

**So, I'm back with another chapter. Thanks for everyone who is still following, much appreciated!**

 **So with regards to this story, it is** **told from Cynthia's point of view, but fear not, Steven does make an appearance.**

 **Also, there are mini guest appearances from Bertha, Cynthia's grandmother and un-named sister. However, their appearance is more of a flashback on events, so there is only a** **brief mention of them.**

 **I suppose you could say this one-shot could be in the same timeline as some of the others, but again, reader's choice. It's not necessary to read the others to enjoy this.**

 **One reviewer requested Alola, so there's a brief mention in this.**

 **Rating K+ as there is hardly nothing in here that could be classed higher.**

* * *

There was something to be said about vacation time. Or in this case, the more appropriate term would be, enforced downtime. Cynthia sighed happily. Two days ago, she'd been in Sinnoh.

* * *

Cynthia had been so busy over the last two months; what with the Sinnoh Championship, the monthly Sinnoh league sanctioned meetings, her time dedicated to researching more into Giratina, and to top it all off, she had had to stop a Team Galactic incident in Veilstone. Busy, may have been an understatement.

However, after finally sorting out that particular issue involving Team Galactic, when she had returned to the Sinnoh League Headquarters the following day, she'd encountered Bertha waiting for her by the entrance. The elder had taken one look at her, and given her a rather stern glare, and literally ordered her off the property, with strict instructions not to return for three weeks. She had tried to protest, but to no avail.

After being all but physically removed from the league headquarters by Bertha, Cynthia had decided to fly to Celestic Town, in order to visit her grandmother and sister. But little did Cynthia know, that they were also, both involved in this little plot.

* * *

After arriving in Celestic, she entered through her grandmother's gate, and made her way to the door. However, before she could even reach the door, it was opened rather suddenly by said grandmother, who thrusted an envelope into her hand, while her sister had shoved a packed bag into her other hand, all the while, leading her off the property and telling her to enjoy. To say she was stunned was an understatement, as she watched her sister retreat back into the house.

After the door to the house had closed, Cynthia had recovered enough, to finally look at the envelope in her hand. After lowering her bag to the ground, she'd opened the envelope. When she did, she was stunned again, when she'd encountered a plane ticket to Alola, dated for that day, with a post it note attached from her grandmother, telling her to relax and enjoy, and that there'd be a surprise waiting for her, once she got there.

It was common knowledge that she was well renowned for being a workaholic, to a point where days would go by, before she even considered resting. But, she'd never encountered a response like this, from any of her relatives or acquaintances before. It had been confusing to say the least.

However, it seemed that she wasn't going to get any answers from them, and that delaying the inevitable seemed to be pointless. So, Cynthia decided, she might as well make the most of it, and if she was honest, she was rather intrigued to see what this surprise was, that was supposedly waiting for her there. She wasn't a big fan of surprises herself, but with what had transpired, she'd been curious to say the least.

* * *

After a rather long flight, Cynthia had finally arrived late afternoon, Alola time. After de-boarding, she'd had a brief thought on what this surprise would be. She didn't have to wonder for long though, because as soon as she made her way out into the Alolan sunshine, that's when she saw him; bluish, steel hair glinting in the sunlight; bright blue eyes shining; and a glorious smile. She'd had a brief thought, that she'd have to change her opinion on surprises, especially if they involved him, in any way.

Cynthia had been so overjoyed to see him and it seemed that the feeling was mutual, as he had gathered her into his arms for a tight hug, once she was within reaching distance. And she couldn't deny, that she was just as eager to hold him as well, as she had dropped her bag to the floor, and wound her arms around him just as tightly.

Two months. They hadn't been in each other's physical proximity for two whole months. She had missed him greatly, and when she had pulled back slightly from the hug to look at him, she could see the yearning in his eyes, something that she was sure, he could see reflected in hers.

Neither of them were too comfortable with grand display's of affection in a crowded place, so after releasing each other, she had picked up her bag once more, and he had taken her other hand in his, and had led her to their accommodation for the duration of their stay.

* * *

Now, two day's later, they found themselves on one of the many beaches in Alola, watching the sunset.

"You know, there is something to be said about being forced to take a vacation," she said softly, with her head resting in his lap, as her eyes followed a Wingull, as it flew out over the ocean.

"Yes indeed," Steven replied, sitting upright in the sand, one hand playing with her golden locks, as he watched the sun slowly kiss the water in the distance.

"I still can't believe you planned this, and managed to get Bertha and my family to play along," Cynthia exclaimed, as she glanced up at him, before returning her gaze to the ocean. She'd already recounted the circumstances in Sinnoh that had led her here, earlier.

Steven chuckled in response.

"Well, it was actually easier than you think."

He'd already confessed to her on the first day of their vacation, that this had all more or less been a set-up. He'd gone on to explain, how he'd been quite sullen in Hoenn, and that it was the Sootopolis gym leader, Wallace, that had given him the idea.

"I think Wallace suggested it, because apparently, he was sick of seeing me moping. His words, not mine." Cynthia had to chuckle at that; she could never imagine Steven moping. "And besides, when I mentioned the idea to your grandmother and sister, they both immediately jumped on board, and they said that they'd take care of everything on that end. I didn't think they'd enlist Bertha into the plan, but I can't say I'm not grateful for it."

With that, Cynthia looked up to see his eyes, now staring down at her. From her vantage point, his features were silhouetted by the sunlight, and it casted a sort of heavenly glow around him. She was entranced.

"Wallace wasn't wrong, you know. Two months away from you, has been difficult," he said softly, with a loving smile.

"I know, and believe me when I say, I have never been so grateful for this enforced vacation," Cynthia responded, with a smile of her own.

Steven slowly lowered his head down, while she raised hers, in order for his lips to meet hers. She sighed happily, and closed her eyes, oblivious to everything else around her, except him. She made a mental note, to thank everyone when she got back to Sinnoh, and to send a message of thanks to Wallace too.

There was nothing quite like enforced downtime, especially, when you get to spend three, glorious weeks, with the one you love. Cynthia smiled against Steven's lips.

Nothing quite like it at all.

* * *

 **Only a small one-shot this time, but straight to the point. I mean who wouldn't be happy with three weeks of enforced downtime? i certainly wouldn't say no, and especially if it was with Steven. (I mean who wouldn't?)**

 **One reviewer requested an Alola story, I had already written this one, so that was a stroke of luck. However, I do hope to do another one in Alola very soon, just got to think up a decent plot for it.**

 **And yes, there are Wingull's in Alola. Sun & Moon says so.**

 **Thanks again everyone!**


	8. Curiosity and Fate

**Hello! Welcome back everyone!**

 **I thank you all for continuing to read these stories. I have actually enjoyed writing them.**

 **I do have a few ideas written down, but please keep the suggestions coming. Every suggestion is welcome! (I am more stronger on the game and manga universe, but I can certainly give the anime side a go if requested.)**

 **Right, on to this story, one reviewer requested a first meeting between our couple. So as requested, this story is dedicated to that. I have done a sort of twist on it, but I don't want to say too much more here as I don't want to spoil it for you.**

 **This one shot also features appearances by Mr Stone and Cynthia's grandmother.**

 **No references to any other chapters in this one, and it's not linked to any previous chapters.**

 **Rated K+ as there is no content that could be considered above this rating.**

 **Without further ado...**

* * *

Cynthia sighed as she emptied the contents of her bedside table onto the bed. It had been a long day already, but there was still plenty to be done, because today was moving day. She and Steven had only returned from their honeymoon two days ago, but they couldn't delay the inevitable work any longer.

* * *

They'd been searching for a new house for a while, and had eventually found one that suited their needs in the eastern part of Sinnoh, just before their wedding.

With plans to purchase it after the big day, they were both taken by surprise when they opened Steven's father's wedding gift to them, and encountered a pair of keys to that specific house. Both her and Steven had protested, as it was much too big of a gift, but his father would have none of it.

The house was everything they wanted, secluded, (so it was away from mass populations, as both herself and Steven weren't big fans of crowds,) convenient, (it was closer to the Sinnoh League Headquarters for her,) and bigger than their current house, which provided more room for her library of books and his rock collection. (And possible room for any future additions to their family.)

So, the only thing left for them now, was to pack everything up and move it to their new home. They'd gone through this once before, when Steven had first moved in with her, but this time it was double the effort, as they now had both of their stuff to haul.

Steven had volunteered to start downstairs with the help of both their pokemon, with moving the bulkier items; in fact, she could here Steven giving instructions from up here.

With her husband making headway downstairs, Cynthia had begun upstairs. She'd already managed to pack up two rooms worth of stuff already, now that just left their master bedroom. As she made a beeline for their bed, she sat on the edge and reached out for her bedside table.

* * *

As the contents of the draw fell onto the bed, something immediately caught her eye as it glinted brightly in the light that streamed in through the bedroom window.

When she reached for it, she discovered it was a dawn stone; one that she hadn't seen in quite a long time. She stared in bewilderment at the turquoise stone; even though it had been years since she had last saw it, it hadn't lost any of its vibrancy. To say Cynthia was stunned was an understatement. This stone had been a gift to her, many, many years ago, when she was still just a child.

A little smile appeared over Cynthia's face, as she turned the stone over in her hand, to see the initials engraved onto the back of it. Everything started to click, as the memories of how she came to be in possession of the stone flashed through her mind. She shook her head in amazement; she couldn't believe it, after all this time. It seemed that fate had a funny way of working.

As she stared wistfully at the stone, she got lost in the memories of how she got it, all those years ago…

* * *

 _21 years ago…_

Five-year-old Cynthia stared in awe, as she looked up at the pale, orange stone that was encased behind a glass dome in front of her. The nameplate stated it as 'Old Amber,' and that it was a fossil of a pre-historic pokemon. She had never seen one before and that was why she was so fascinated by it, as she was extremely curious as to what type of pokemon it could be. She was always curious about these sorts of things; her grandmother said that she got that from her mother.

Her grandmother had gotten a call yesterday, asking for her assistance with regards to her studies on ancient pokemon. This had meant travelling to Hoenn, but Cynthia had been excited for the chance to travel, and her grandmother had informed her; that there would be plenty there to peak her curiosity once they arrived at their destination. And she wasn't wrong, for as soon as she entered the rather large building they were currently in, Cynthia had been awestruck.

However, it seemed that her curious side seemed to also have a downside; for while she was entranced with the fossil, she had failed to notice that her grandmother had disappeared further into the building, with the aide that she'd been talking to. When Cynthia had finally turned around, she found herself alone.

After calling out her grandmother's name and receiving no response, she decided the best course of action would be to walk down the stairs and return to ground level, in hopes that she would stumble across her grandmother, or at least one of the aides working there.

* * *

Alas, after 15 minutes of wandering around, she came to the sound conclusion; that she was hopelessly lost. Cynthia began to feel that it was beyond useless. Everywhere she turned, there just seemed to be another corridor, it was like one giant maze.

After nearly deciding to just give up and stay where she was until someone found her, she turned another corner, and came across a set of patio style doors leading to the outside. Curious, Cynthia stepped through the doors and into a massive garden.

Her eyes widened as she wandered a little further into the lush greenery. Her awed gaze roamed around the vast piece of land, until they locked onto the back of a young boy, who happened to be standing right in the centre.

From her vantage point, the boy, who had his back to her; had tousled hair; that had a rather unusual colouring, as it seemed to look blue, but glinted silver in the sunlight. He was dressed quite smartly, although, she was sure that she could see mud splattered here and there on his form. To the right of him, on the floor, she could see what appeared to be a little spade, while floating to the left hand side of him, was a pokemon shaped like a long oblong, one that Cynthia had never personally seen. It seemed that he was unaware of her presence, as he was too engrossed, into whatever he was holding in his left hand.

She felt a little intrusive. She should have turned around and headed back inside in order to try and locate her grandmother once more, but she was intrigued. Like she had been told many times, her curiosity always seemed to get the better of her, and this scenario was no different.

However, her presence wasn't ignored for long, as the pokemon that was floating beside him, finally turned and locked its eye onto her. Cynthia felt her eyes widen in fear, as she saw the pokemon turn back to the boy and alert him to her presence. The young boy had raised his gaze to the gesticulating pokemon, before turning around and locking his gaze onto hers.

Cynthia could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment at being caught, and it only deepened when the young boy walked towards her; eventually coming to a stop right in front of her. He was slightly taller than her, so she had to raise her head to meet his gaze, but regardless, she was captivated by the bright, blue colour of his irises. They reminded Cynthia of clear water, the kind that she'd seen in the great lakes in Sinnoh; the lakes her grandmother had taken her to visit. (And yes, she was correct on her initial assumption, that it was mud streaks that were decorating his clothes and skin.)

"Hi, my name is Steven," the boy introduced himself with a bright smile, as he held out his right hand for her to shake. "What's yours?"

Cynthia could tell that this boy was full of confidence.

"Uh…hi. My name is Cynthia," she managed to stutter out, while placing her left hand in his outstretched right to shake hands; even though she was still mildly embarrassed by the situation. He paid no heed to her obvious fluster, or he could have been just politely not mentioning it to save her from any further embarrassment, but either way, Cynthia was grateful.

"Oh, and this is Beldum," Steven said, after releasing her hand and pointing to the pokemon that had followed him over, and was now floating to the right hand side of him.

The Beldum seemed to bow its head to Cynthia in greeting. She smiled.

"Hello Beldum," she greeted the pokemon.

"He's my closest friend. But, he also keeps an eye on me, to make sure I don't wander off," Steven said with a shrug.

Cynthia giggled at that; that sounded way to familiar. A smile lit up Steven's face as she giggled, and he couldn't help but give a little laugh too.

When Cynthia finally stopped giggling, she glanced down and caught sight of a turquoise coloured object being held in his left hand; an object that she actually recognized.

"Is that a dawn stone?" Cynthia asked, nodding to the item that he was holding, the item that she couldn't see earlier.

"Yes indeed," Steven nodded. "Would you like to look at it?" he asked as he held the stone out in front of him.

Cynthia raised her head, and her eyes met his again. He smiled, as he nodded towards the stone.

Cynthia looked down and stepped forward, in order to get a closer look at the stone. As she gazed at it, she couldn't help but get lost in its depths. She'd only read and seen pictures of them in books, so, to see one up this close; was simply amazing.

"Wow! It's so pretty. It's almost like you can feel the power coming off of it, with the way it shines," Cynthia commented, as she raised her head to see him beaming at her. "Is it yours?" she asked.

Steven nodded.

"My father gave it to me. He's a miner in his spare time, and he goes and hunts for all these cool relics and stones. When he returns, he shows me all of what he finds, he even lets me keep some, like this one," Steven said, while nodding towards the stone in his hand. "One day, I want to go out there and do that. My dad says I'm not old enough yet, but to encourage me, on days where he has to work, he buries some of my stones in the garden here and tells me I have to go find them. In fact, that's what me and Beldum are doing now."

Cynthia was intrigued. This boy was full of surprises. She was just about to respond, before she was stopped by a rather loud shout coming from just inside the building.

"Cynthia!" she could hear her grandmother call out to her. "How many times have I told you, not to wander off and to pay attention to where I am?"

She turned around and saw her grandmother stepping out of the patio doors, along with another man, who was dressed rather formally in a pin-stripe business suit.

"One day young lady, that curiosity is going to get you in a lot of trouble," her grandmother continued, as she and the man walked over to them.

"Believe me, that is something I have to deal with on a regular basis as well," the man said, while he looked towards Steven, who gave a little sheepish smile in response.

"It's okay dad, Cynthia was just keeping me company," Steven responded, as the adults came to a stop by the side of them.

Cynthia's eyes widened as she whipped her head around to look at Steven when he said the word 'dad.'

"I was just showing Cynthia the dawn stone you got me," Steven finished.

Mr Stone laughed.

"I thought it wouldn't take you long to find it. Good job." Mr Stone nodded towards his son. "My son, the aspiring miner. "

Steven smiled at his father, before returning his gaze to Cynthia and her grandmother.

"How wonderful," Cynthia's grandmother replied. "It's wonderful to see children taking an interest in things. Why, I feel that my granddaughter will be exactly the same, if her curiosity is anything to go by."

While the adults gave a light chuckle, Steven could see Cynthia's attention returning to the dawn stone he held. With that, he held the stone out in front of him.

"Here, you can have this if you like."

Cynthia's eyes widened as she took in the bright expression on his face.

"It's even initialled, so you can remember where you got it, see?" He turned the stone over for her to see. A small S.S. was carved into the back.

Cynthia blushed slightly, as she glanced at the initials etched into the stone, before returning her gaze to his. Steven nodded, as she slowly reached out and took the stone from his hand.

"That's very generous of you Steven, what do you say Cynthia?" her grandmother said, as she looked down to her with a raised eyebrow. Cynthia glanced up at her face, before retuning her gaze to Steven.

"Thank you Steven," Cynthia beamed, as she stepped forward and gave him a hug.

Steven turned bright red as her arms came around him. He saw his father give a light chuckle at his expression, while Cynthia's grandmother smirked humorously. As Cynthia released him and stepped back, the adults exchanged glances, before her grandmother cleared her throat.

"Well, I think that concludes our business for today, and thanks again for letting me help with your research," her grandmother thanked Mr Stone, before turning to look at Steven. "And thank you Steven, for keeping Cynthia from getting into any more trouble."

"It's been a pleasure, and your insights have been a great help. In fact, your help has advanced our studies quite a bit," Mr Stone replied, before slinging his arm around his son. "And I'm sure Steven here, was glad for some company."

Steven glanced up at him, before returning his gaze to Cynthia and her grandmother and nodding his head in agreement.

Cynthia's grandmother gave a warm smile.

"And on that note, I think we must depart," she stated, before placing a hand on Cynthia's shoulder. "Come along Cynthia, we need to head back to Slateport in order to catch our ride home." With that, she patted Cynthia's shoulder in order to grab the young girl's attention.

Cynthia tore her gaze off Steven, before glancing up at her grandmother and giving her a little nod.

"And who knows, with the both of you sharing some common interests, I'm sure you may meet again in the future."

"Who knows indeed?" Mr Stone responded, with a little chuckle, as Cynthia and her grandmother headed towards the building. "Anyway, have a safe trip home, and thanks again."

Cynthia turned back to glance over her shoulder at the young boy, who gave her a little wave. She smiled and gave a little wave in return, before turning back around and following her grandmother into the building, all the while, gripping tightly to the dawn stone in her hand.

She hoped she would get to meet him again some day.

* * *

 _Present day…_

Cynthia smiled at the memory as she continued to stare at the dawn stone, with the double S.S still engraved on the back.

She remembered taking that stone everywhere with her when she was a child, desperately hoping that she would eventually meet the young boy again. She had never caught his surname, but she'd had that sure feeling that somehow, she would see him again. However, years had passed, and she had become too focussed on her own journey and on becoming champion; that she'd forgotten about it, including the encounter with the blue-eyed boy. Amazingly though, it seemed that fate, had a funny way of working.

Cynthia chuckled to herself, before she heard a cough. She turned her head, and encountered her husband standing in the doorway to their bedroom.

"Cynthia dear, are you alright? I've been calling you for a few minutes. I was concerned something was wrong," Steven said, as he entered the bedroom.

She beamed at him.

"Yes darling, everything is fine. In fact, more than fine."

Steven raised an eyebrow.

"Then what is it that has you so intrigued; that you failed to answer my calls?" he asked with curiosity.

Cynthia continued to beam at him, while she patted her right hand on the bed to indicate that he should come and sit next to her. As he wandered over and sat next to her, they both turned to face each other.

"It seems, that I may have something of yours; something that you gave me a long, long time ago," Cynthia commented.

When he gave her another curious stare, she held out her left hand that held the dawn stone. Steven glanced down to her hand as she gestured for him to take whatever she was holding. He reached out and took the object from her hand, before looking down at the stone he now held.

Cynthia watched him closely as he examined the dawn stone. She could see the moment he recognized it, with the widening of his eyes, as he took in the initials engraved onto the stone. Cynthia continued to smile as his wide eyes shot up to meet hers.

"This…but this…" he began, but he couldn't seem to form any words, as he looked back down to his hand. She chuckled at his expression. She was sure hers was quite similar a few moments ago.

"I know, believe me, I had quite a shock when I found it," Cynthia stated, before nodding towards the stone. "That's why I was a bit unresponsive."

Steven raised his gaze back to hers. Seeing the content smile on her face, he began to smile himself.

"So that was probably why your grandmother gave me that funny sort of smile, when I first visited her house with you, after we started dating. It seems that that wasn't the first time I had met her," he stated, with a chuckle. "And come to think of it, it also explains my dad's rather peculiar reaction to meeting you as well."

"Yes indeed," Cynthia agreed with a smile. "It also explains why we both felt gravitated towards each other when I became champion. And, it also accounts for why we both felt like we had met before; because we already had."

With wide smiles, they both glanced back down towards the dawn stone that was still being held in Steven's hand.

"Well, I can say one thing though, my grandmother and your father were both indeed correct with their assumptions," Cynthia said, with a raise of her eyebrow. Steven glanced at her curiously. She smiled. "We definitely did meet each other again; and the best part, we are both still just as curious as ever." With that, Cynthia burst into laughter, with Steven joining in soon after.

Who'd have thought that 21 years ago in that garden, a little lost girl, whose curiosity had got the better of her, would actually meet her future husband; the young blue-eyed boy with his Beldum and dawn stone.

Indeed, it seemed that fate, definitely had a strange way working.

* * *

 **And there we have it!**

 **A rather unusual meeting between our couple, at a very young age. I was contemplating a meeting one shot for a while, and I wanted to give it a twist, so I hope this did it justice.**

 **And yes the building they were visiting was supposed to be Devon Co-operation. (I know, it probably doesn't have a garden, but for the sake of this it does.)**

 **I do have other ideas on first meetings, so don't be surprised if this isn't the only one shot based around first meetings.**

 **And yes, I do strongly believe in fate to be honest, if something is meant to be, then it will happen.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Until next time...**


	9. Nightmare

**Hi again everyone! Welcome back.**

 **Thanks again for all the favourites, reviews and followers, it's much appreciated, and I am pleased to know that there are other fans of this partnership out there!**

 **Also, I would like to mention I do have another fanfic out there at present 'Pokemon Essential Rules,' which is a humorous take on the do's and don'ts in the pokemon world from the trainer's points of view. This does also feature some Darksteel moments, if you want to check that out, it's under my stories. But that one is just pure humour.**

 **However, back to this story.**

 **This one-shot is based around the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire arc in the manga. If you haven't read that story arc, you may not get the gist of this story.**

 **Obviously, the parts with Cynthia have been fabricated by me, because she doesn't appear in the story arc in the actual manga (unfortunately), but for those who have read this manga arc, you will recognize what I have based this on straight away.**

 **So be warned, if you haven't read that story arc, this one-shot will have spoilers for that.**

 **This one-shot is not linked to any other chapter before it. So, no need to read previous ones to understand this.**

 **I'm rating it T, just to be safe.**

 _ **Cynthia's thoughts are in italics.**_

 **And we shall begin...**

* * *

Numb.

She felt numb and dead inside; a feeling that she had never experienced before, until now. Her whole world had come crashing down with one phone call. _He was dead. Steven was dead._

She felt paralyzed; he'd only been with her a fortnight ago. He'd been here in Sinnoh with her, celebrating their first anniversary as a couple. They'd been so happy, and had been enjoying spending their time together, until he'd received a phone call, telling him that he needed to return home immediately.

The phone call had been from his father, with disconcerting news. Two criminal organizations had started appearing around the region, and there was concern, that they were attempting to locate, and awaken the legendary weather pokemon.

She'd volunteered to go with him and help, but he had told her not too. As champion, it was his duty to deal with anything that affected his home region. Besides, he'd thought that it would only be a minor thing, and that it was just caution on his father's part; _but how wrong he proved to be._

However, the situation was even worse than he had originally thought, and she'd heard the news, a few days after his departure, that Hoenn was in trouble, and that the legendary Groudon and Kyogre, had awoken.

He'd managed to call her a few days ago, advising her on the situation. He'd finally got the information that he needed, and was heading off to find the legendary Regi trio, to try and stop, or at least delay the oncoming destruction that Groudon and Kyogre could cause, while they waited for one of their gym leaders to find Rayquaza.

She'd once again offered to fly over and help, but he had said that it wouldn't matter. Everything now depended on ending the battle between Groudon and Kyogre, and that a plan was already in motion.

She'd warned him to be careful, pleaded with him to not take stupid risks. He'd promised, and told her he'd see her soon, and that he loved her, which she had reciprocated. But that didn't stop her from having that sinking feeling, that something would go wrong.

The next few days had been torture. She couldn't focus properly, and sleep was a distant memory. Even the Sinnoh Elite Four had been concerned about her welfare, but no matter how much reassurance people gave her, she just couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. However, she had to keep positive, as much as she felt uneasy. _He's fine, he's alive._

And then the news had finally come through that it was over. Groudon and Kyogre had returned to their caverns, and that Hoenn was at peace once again. She'd felt relieved, until 30 minutes ago, when she had received that phone call from Winona.

She should have guessed straight away, especially, when it wasn't his voice that spoke to her, but that of the Fortree gym leader. Trying to hold back her own tears, Winona had informed her, from what she had managed to get out of Wallace, Steven had died under the strain of trying to control the three Regi legendaries, and that he had passed away in the arms of his best friend. After hearing that, something died inside of Cynthia, and she lost all track of reality.

She could hear Winona sniffling, desperately trying to keep her tears at bay, but Cynthia couldn't feel anything, she felt…numb. There wasn't any other word that could describe what she felt.

Winona had gone onto explain that they'd lost others, but Cynthia was stuck on that one phrase, that repeated in her mind like a record with a scratch, _he was dead_. _Steven was dead_.

After that, Winona had had to go and deal with the fallout of the destruction; and deal with a rather distressed Wallace. She could imagine the gym leader's despair in the matter as well, as Steven had been like a brother to him, and to have him die in his arms; must have been awful. At least her last memory of Steven was a happy one, but Wallace wasn't so lucky. But still, she would have given anything to have seen Steven alive, one last time.

Cynthia couldn't even remember saying her goodbyes or hanging up the phone. She just felt numb and hollow inside. _He was dead. Steven was dead_. She'd never get to see his beautiful eyes, or his glorious smile, or hear his wonderful voice again. She'd never feel his arms come around her, or his lips press against hers ever again. She felt the water begin to build up in her eyes, as a few tears fell down her face.

What was she going to do now? _He was dead. Steven was dead_.

* * *

She shot up in bed, and lowered her head to her hands as she tried to calm her racing heart. But all the while, one phrase was ringing clear through her mind; _he was dead_. _Steven was dead_. He was dead, and he wasn't coming back to her.

Suddenly, she could see light through the gaps in her fingers; and then the feeling of a hand, rubbing her back. She stiffened slightly, as she raised her head slowly from her hands, squinting slightly as she adjusted to the light, in order to face the source of the comfort. That was when her eyes connected with his.

"Cynthia?"

She couldn't respond, her words were choked up in her throat.

"Cynthia, it's okay it's just a nightmare, a pretty bad one from the sounds of it, but still, just a nightmare."

She still couldn't move; her eyes remaining locked onto his electric blue irises.

Steven was extremely concerned, the pain he could see in those grey orbs was disconcerting. Something had really scared her.

"Are you sure you are alright?" he asked with concern, as he continued to rub her back, in order to try and soothe her distress.

His voice finally seemed to get through to her, as the distant and distraught look finally began to dissipate. Her eyes began to spill over with tears slightly, as she finally managed to stutter out,

"Steven?"

Her voice wasn't as strong and confident as it usually was, something that concerned Steven greatly. The nightmare; obviously had something to do with him, that he could guess, but explanations could wait, it seemed like she needed him at the moment, and he was determined to ease her pain.

With a small smile, he finally responded.

"I'm here."

With that, she threw her arms around him tightly; afraid that it was all a cruel joke and that he was just a figment of her distraught emotions. But, he didn't disappear. He was warm and solid. _He was alive_.

"I'm here," he repeated, before he manoeuvred them, so that he was flat on his back, with his left arm still wrapped around her, and still rubbing her back. Her arms were now tightly wrapped around his waist, while her head rested over his heart. _He was alive._ Steven could feel a few of her tears on his skin.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head slightly against his chest, before tightening her arms around him even more. The dream was still too raw. She was just content to lie there and listen to his heartbeat; the living proof that he was still with her, and that he had survived. _He was there, and he was alive_.

It was all a nightmare, a rather horrid dream. But Cynthia couldn't shake the feeling that she had lived through that ordeal. It had felt all too real.

However, it didn't matter anymore, _he was alive_.

* * *

 **So there we have it. I hope you enjoyed the story, and hopefully wasn't too depressing. I don't usual write dark sort of stories, but I hope this wasn't too bad.** **And there was no way in hell was I leaving Steven dead.**

 **To my fellow pokemon manga fans, I will admit, I was extremely upset when they killed Steven in that scene and I will also admit, I really can't read that scene often, because it still upsets me, even though it's all corrected at the end.**

 **Next one shot I think, will have to be back to being lighthearted, I can't take this heavy drama often.**

 **Anyway, thanks again everyone.**

 **Until next time...**


	10. Little Surprise

**Hi everyone, I'm back.**

 **Sorry for any delay on updating this next chapter, but work has delayed me from writing. But fear not, I'm finally free to upload this one.**

 **With regards to this one shot, I decided to focus on a future event between our couple. I think from the title, you can probably guess what this is about.**

 **This story mostly follows Cynthia, and a very large guest appearance by Diantha. Steven does appear, but more** **towards the end.**

 **I have had some requests from reviewers, so thanks for them.** **With regards to those requests, I do have them noted down, and they are on my list. I have started writing some of them, but they are still WIP at the moment. So, I decided to upload this particular one shot at the moment, as it was completed.**

 **Rated T, just for the subject matter, but I suppose many of you would say it could be K+. But for safety, I am rating it T.**

 _ **Cynthia's thoughts are in italic.**_

 **So I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 _Well this was…_

Cynthia didn't think she could find anything to say; that could suitably describe it. I mean, it wasn't as if they weren't married; they were. And they most certainly had been doing things; that could lead to this. So really, she should have expected it at some point. But still, that's not to say, it didn't still surprise the hell out of her.

"Cynthia? Are you okay?" She could hear the concern in Diantha's voice, but she just couldn't shake herself out of the stupor she was in. How a few short hours could change her whole world.

* * *

 _6 hours ago…_

Cynthia groaned as she registered the shrill ring of her pokegear from her bedside table. With her eyes still tightly closed, she reached across the bed, searching for the warmth that should have been there, but unfortunately, all she encountered was coldness, from the spot where her husband should have been. Cynthia blinked her eyes open.

As her vision began to clear, she registered the empty space in the bed beside her, and the morning sunshine, streaming in through the closed curtains. She'd had a vague recollection of her husband; whispering goodbye to her and kissing her forehead earlier, but that was it. She'd slept like a log, again.

She blinked again, as her eyes adjusted to the morning light, and then lifted her head slightly off the pillow, to look at the alarm clock that sat on Steven's bedside table. The clock flashed 10:00. She shook her head, _that couldn't be right? Surely?_ After rubbing her tired eyes, she glanced once again to the clock, but the white numbers still flashed accusingly at her. So it looked like she had slept in, again. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ Cynthia thought to herself in disgust. She didn't know what it was, but as of lately, she'd been finding it more difficult to get out of bed in the morning.

The pokegear continued to ring.

She growled. She lowered her head back to her pillow in annoyance. This wasn't like her at all. She was usually vibrant and full of energy, but as of lately, she just felt lethargic, more so in the mornings than anything else, but still, this definitely wasn't her.

The pokegear still kept ringing.

She growled again at the incessant bleating of her pokegear. It wouldn't be her husband; she knew that, he was locked in meetings all day, thanks to a phone call he received yesterday, that demanded his presence. With Steven being the head of the Sinnoh branch of Devon Co-operation, it wasn't unusual for him to be called in on short notice. But still, sometimes it could be annoying. She would have much rather have woken up to his warmth, than the insatiable bellowing of her ringtone. Cynthia groaned as she picked up her husband's pillow and placed it over her head, in order to the muffle the annoying sound.

The pokegear eventually stopped its incessant screeching, but only for one blissful second, before it started up once again. Cynthia groaned again from under the pillow. She stayed still, until the ringing ceased once more. However, it immediately started up, again. Cynthia growled in annoyance, it seemed that whoever it was, was extremely persistent.

That was another thing that Cynthia had noticed recently, she'd become more irritable about things. Take now for example, she was rather tempted to pick up the annoying piece of machinery, and throw it at the nearest wall. But luckily for the pokegear, she still had some rationality in her.

She sighed in annoyance, before finally throwing off her husband's pillow and sitting up. However, she must have gotten up too quickly, as her head began to spin as she became vertical, and brought with it the strong urge to vomit. Cynthia rested her head in her hands, taking deep breaths, as she waited for the nausea to pass.

When the feeling did begin to ease, she shook away the fog that clouded the inside of her head. _Won't be doing that again in a hurry,_ she thought. That's another thing that didn't feel normal, at all. Cynthia groaned once again, _god, I hope I'm not seriously ill, that's all I need._

Cynthia finally raised her head from her hands, and glanced at the offending piece of machinery, before finally reaching out to grab it.

She glanced at the screen, before sighing at the name that flashed on there. _Here we go,_ she thought, before finally pressing the call button. The voice that reverberated down the phone line, was definitely not impressed with having been kept waiting.

"Well it's about time! Do you know how many times I've been trying to get a hold of you?"

"Good morning to you as well, Diantha. How are you?" Cynthia answered sarcastically. She could so do without a lecture this morning.

"Well, I would feel a whole lot better, if my friend would answer her phone the first time, instead of making me call multiple times," Diantha shot back, clearly catching onto Cynthia's sarcasm. "And pray tell, what excuse do you have for not picking up your pokegear? Although, if it's anything to do with spending time with that husband of yours, then please save me the details, I don't need to know."

Cynthia snorted at that. _Right, of course you don't_. Diantha was always hounding her with regards to her and Steven's relationship. It had started long before she and Steven had even started dating, and it still continued now, even more so, now that they were married. The Kalos actress/champion loved a bit of gossip.

"Steven isn't actually here, he was called into work," Cynthia finally answered.

"So you can't use that excuse," Diantha replied. "So I ask again, what's kept you?"

Cynthia sighed. There was no point in lying, she might as well tell her, she'd find out somehow.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I was still asleep, when you first rung. Then I just, couldn't seem to find the energy to actually get up to answer." Cynthia was awaiting the lecture, but it didn't come.

"You're still not feeling too clever?" Diantha replied, concernedly.

Cynthia could hear the worry in the Kalos' champion's voice, even down the phone line. She had told Diantha in confidence, that she hadn't been feeling herself lately. They often kept in frequent contact, and Cynthia had to admit, it was nice to have a female friend to talk too.

"Well as luck would have it, I'm actually in Sinnoh, I've just arrived in fact. My film shoot doesn't actually start until tomorrow. So, I am coming over to get you, and we are going out for the day, and I won't be taking no for an answer."

Cynthia sighed at the command.

"You really don't need to Diantha."

"Nonsense, we are due for a face to face catch-up," Diantha responded. "And it sounds like you need some cheering up, and the fresh air will also do you some good, if you're not feeling well."

Cynthia conceded; _she did have a point_.

"And besides, you owe me for ignoring my phone calls. So, get up, get dressed, I will see you in half an hour."

Cynthia sighed in defeat, _damn it, I knew that'd come back to bite me in the ass._

* * *

After an exhausting few hours of shopping, or more accurately, watching Diantha shop, Cynthia now found herself sat outside of a coffee shop in Veilstone with the Kalos champion.

"Well I must say; we've had a very productive day," Diantha said with a chuckle.

Cynthia shook her head in amusement.

"Well you certainly have."

"What can I say? Sinnoh has a lot of great things."

Cynthia shook her head in amusement once again. It had been a fun day, regardless of the fact that she hadn't felt 100% like herself.

Diantha cleared her throat, in order to grab her attention.

"So, how's married life going with the silver-haired dreamboat?" Diantha asked cheekily.

Cynthia had to snort at that. Steven hated that nickname. Where it came from, no one knew, but it seemed to have caught on, much to Steven's chagrin.

"Just as good as the last hundred times you've asked Diantha," Cynthia replied with a smile, but she could see the mischievous smile on her friend's face. "And no, I'm not giving any more details."

"Hmm…spoilsport," Diantha answered with a chuckle. "And it's always good to check, but then again, this is you and Steven. You're both so happy together, it's sometimes sickening." With that, both females gave a little laugh, before Cynthia gave a little yawn.

"Excuse me, it seems these past few hours have worn me out more than I thought."

Diantha raised her eyebrow, as she stared at her friend.

"So have you told Steven you haven't been feeling well?"

Cynthia shook her head slightly.

"No, not in so many words."

She could see the disapproving glare that Diantha was giving her.

"I don't need him worrying. He has enough to worry about with the company at the moment; he doesn't need me to add to that. And besides, it's probably just a bug, I'm sure it will pass."

Diantha raised a sceptical eyebrow at her words.

"You know you're being irrational don't you?"

Cynthia raised her eyebrow in return.

"Oh come on Cynthia, there is no way that that husband of yours, hasn't noticed that you haven't been yourself. I mean, he's probably even more concerned because you haven't told him."

Cynthia sighed; she supposed Diantha had a point.

However, their conversation was cut short, when the waiter finally brought out their drinks. With a thank you, the waiter left, but as the smell of Diantha's coffee wafted on the breeze, Cynthia's stomach began to turn with it, and she could feel her face drain of its entire colour.

"Cynthia?"

She could hear Diantha's concerned voice, but she couldn't respond as her vision began to grey out, and she had to concentrate extremely hard on swallowing, in order to stop the feeling of bile rising quickly into her throat. It was a good job she was outside, and away from a lot of prying eyes, otherwise, that could have been embarrassing. She could feel Diantha patting her hand, and she began focussing on that, like a lifeline.

After a few minutes, her vision cleared and the nausea passed, even though her stomach still felt unsettled.

"My god Cynthia, are you okay? Your face lost all colour, and I swear, it looked like you were going to pass out," Diantha exclaimed. "Tell me truthfully Cynthia, what symptoms have you had?"

Cynthia raised her gaze to the Kalos champion. She could see that her friend was extremely worried, and to be honest, she was too.

"You know most of it. I've been more tired and lethargic. I've been more irritable as of late; and sometimes, I've been feeling nauseous and dizzy after moving too quickly," Cynthia explained. "Right now though, I don't know what happened to be honest. I was fine until I smelt your coffee, and then I just felt extremely nauseous, and then it made me feel feint."

Cynthia could see the wheels turning inside Diantha's mind, before a knowing gleam flashed in her eyes. Her expression brightened, and a knowing little smirk appeared on her face.

"Well, judging from what you have just told me, I think, if I'm right in my assumptions, then it's a little more than a bug." With that, Diantha rose from her chair, and held out her hand. Cynthia looked up in confusion.

"Come on."

Cynthia raised her hand, and placed it into the Kalos champion's outstretched one. She was then yanked to her feet, before being literally dragged away, by the said champion.

"Where are we going?" Cynthia enquired.

"You are going to the doctors, and I am taking you there."

Cynthia was just about to stop and protest, but Diantha stopped first, and turned around to face her.

"And I'm not taking no for an answer; because if it's what I think it is, then your life is about to change, dear friend." With that, the Kalos champion gave a little smirk, before turning back around and dragging Cynthia by the hand once again.

Cynthia was too stunned and confused by her friend's behaviour to even attempt to stop her. _Life changing? What the blazes is she talking about?_

* * *

 _Present time…_

 _Oh right, that's what she meant by life changing…_

"Cynthia? Are you sure you are okay? You are looking terribly pale right now," Diantha asked again, when she still didn't get a response from the Sinnoh champion. "You're not going to feint on me are you?"

Cynthia continued to stare into space. To her, the past few hours had been a blur. It had felt like she'd been in a dream, and that she hadn't quite woken up yet. She couldn't even remember getting home form the doctors. It seemed like she'd been on autopilot, as everything else seemed to have vanished from her mind, after she'd heard those three life changing words from the doctor; three words that had turned her whole world upside down. _Congratulations, you're pregnant_.

Diantha continued to watch her friend closely. She was slightly concerned that she hadn't responded, but then again, it was a rather large surprise for her, so she could understand why Cynthia was like she was. Diantha sighed; it was a good job she'd been with her, as it seemed, her friend wasn't in any fit state to be on her own at the moment.

"Don't worry Cynthia, I put a call through to Steven, as soon as we got back. In fact, he should be on his way, and should be here any minute now," Diantha explained.

That seemed to finally get through to her. Cynthia shook her head and finally turned to face her.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said, that Steven should be here any minute now. I called the office and asked if he could come home," Diantha repeated, with a slight smile.

Cynthia's eyes widened as she stared at her lap. Her mind went into overdrive; _oh god, Steven will be here any minute. How am I going to tell him? More importantly, how's he going to react? We hadn't exactly planned for this yet._

"Stop over thinking things, I can practically here you from here," Diantha retorted with a chuckle, as she saw her friend's sudden panic. "He will be happy, trust me. That man loves you, and I can assure you, that he will love that little one, just as much."

Cynthia raised her gaze to Diantha's; she could see the excitement and happiness that her friend held for her within her eyes.

"You think so?"

"I know so. You and Steven are going to be wonderful parents."

Cynthia gave a small smile, before both females caught sight of a shadow fly past the window; then the telltale sounds of something landing.

"Ah, speak of the devil, by the sounds of it, he's here now."

Cynthia's eyes widened again in fear. Diantha chuckled at her expression.

"Don't worry, stay here, I'll go greet Steven. But just remember, he will be fine, mark my words." With that, the Kalos champion rose from her seat and made her way to the door.

Just as she reached the entrance, Steven came hurtling through the door.

"Ah Steven, I'm glad you're here, I take it you got the message?" Diantha asked, as she took one look at his rather frazzled state.

"What happened Diantha? Is Cynthia all right? I got the message you sent yes, but you said it was urgent. Has something happened to her? Please tell me that she isn't seriously ill?"

"Well…" she began, but was cut off by Steven's rather frantic tirade.

"I know she's not been feeling herself lately but...is it that?"

"Steven…"

"Damn it, I knew I should have taken her to the doctors and…"

"Steven!" Diantha shouted.

That finally got the frazzled man to stop, as his worried gaze landed on hers. Diantha sighed loudly.

"Steven calm down for a moment please, and let me explain."

With that, the steel haired man stopped and nodded his head for her to continue. Diantha could still see the concern in his blue irises.

"Cynthia is fine, well…sort of, but it's not as bad as you think it is," she began to explain.

She could see Steven was about to say something, but she held her hand up to stop him.

"Believe me Steven, when I say that everything is fine. She just needs you at the moment, because she's had a piece of news that has given her a bit of a shock, that's all." Diantha could still see the worry deep in the man's eyes. She shook her head. "I'm not explaining this right. I think Steven, it would be best if you just speak to your wife."

With that, she turned and led him to the sitting room, where Cynthia still sat rigidly, now staring into space again.

"Cynthia?" Steven exclaimed, as he entered the room behind Diantha and hurriedly made his way over to sit next to his wife on the sofa. When he sat down he reached out and grabbed both of her hands. "Cynthia dear, are you alright?"

At the feeling of her hands being gripped tightly by another, Cynthia finally turned her head and locked gazes with the blue irises of her husband.

"Steven?"

"Yes, I'm here love. How are you? Diantha said you had something you wanted to tell me?"

Cynthia glanced towards Diantha, who gave her a nod of assurance. Cynthia nodded in return, before turning back to face her husband.

"Well," Cynthia hesitantly began, while biting her bottom lip, "I…"

Diantha gave a little cough.

"Excuse me, I think that this is a conversation that should be held in private. So, I'll leave you two alone."

They both glanced at her and Cynthia was just about to say something; before Diantha cut her off, just like she had done with Steven earlier.

"Don't worry, I'm filming here for another week yet, so I will catch up with you before I head back to Kalos." With that, Diantha grabbed her shopping and made her way out of the house, with a departing wave.

As she was making her way off the property, just as she was passing the window, she decided to peak through to see if everything was fine. A smile broke out on her face as she saw the couple embracing tightly, before Steven raised his head and leaned in to kiss his wife, while his right hand made its way to rest over Cynthia's stomach. The love and happiness that she saw there was staggering. She knew it would all work out.

With one last glance at the couple, she turned and continued off the property. She was immensely happy for them; they deserved it.

More importantly though, she was quite looking forward to meeting this new little champion.

* * *

 **And there we have it, my first attempt at a future story featuring our couple. Hope it wasn't too cheesy, but after the last chapter, I needed to lighten the atmosphere.**

 **And Diantha being ever observant. I do sense that Diantha is older than Cynthia, do any of you agree? But maybe that's just me, but then again, this is the pokemon universe, ages can be deceiving.**

 **And can I just say, a little one, with my favourite couple as parents, would probably be one hell of an offspring, if I do say so.**

 **Like I mentioned above, I am working on those requests, and with me having a break from work, I can finally make headway with completing these stories. Also, keep the requests coming, I'm always looking for ideas.**

 **So, I hope you all enjoyed, and until the next one.**

 **See you then.**


	11. The Villa

**Hello again everyone! I'm back again, with another dose of Darksteel goodness. (And yes, quite a speedy turn around after my previous chapter.)**

 **Now, with regards to this story, this one shot is based off two requests actually, and it regards Steven's brief appearance in the Pokemon Platinum manga storyline. For those who haven't read it, the brief page in that manga, actually depicts Steven signing over his villa to Platinum in Sinnoh, before departing on Metagross, in order to return to Hoenn. So based on that, two reviewers have requested a story based around the possibility of Cynthia visiting him, in this villa.**

 **This is also why the story is just entitled 'The Villa,' as it just sort of sums up the story and its contents quite nicely.**

 **So, without any further delay, here is my completed interpretation on this. It should be noted that each page break, indicates a different time in the meetings. So, the events sort of follow a timeline, eventually leading up to Steven's departure in the Platinum manga. I hope that makes sense. I'm sure you will get what I mean as you read on.**

 **This story only features Cynthia and Steven. Sorry, there are no other guest appearances in this one.**

 **It should also be strongly noted that this one shot is rated a T, and there's a very good reason for that, as there are implied things in this story that cannot be considered a K+. So, you've been warned.**

 **So, without further ado, here's the finished product.**

* * *

Cynthia rarely visited the Resort Area, as not much tended to happen there that would require the region's champion's constant presence. However, after a rather stressful few hours, dealing with sightings of Team Galactic grunts, she'd needed a rest, and she'd just happened to be flying over this area at the time.

As she landed on solid ground, she'd returned Garchomp to her pokeball, and that's when she looked up and spotted it. Well, in truth, you couldn't actually miss it. To the resident side of the resort, there stood a large, spectacular, and rather luxurious villa, complete with a vast garden and swimming pool. The building and its surroundings just screamed class, and it took no genius to realize, that someone of wealth lived there.

Cynthia's eyes remained wide, as she took in the villa once more. She was sure that it hadn't been there a few months ago, but then again, she didn't visit here that often, so who knows how long it had actually been there.

She hadn't noticed that she'd been walking towards it, until she heard the front door opening, and that's when she realized, that she'd stopped just short of the front entrance, just as the owner had opened the front door, in order to pick up the newspaper that had been left on the doorstep.

Cynthia felt her face flush slightly in embarrassment; she should have turned around and left, but she couldn't seem to move her legs, she was frozen, and besides, it was too late to run now; she wouldn't be able to leave without seeming foolish otherwise.

After steeling herself internally, she raised her gaze to the owner, before doing a double take. She recognized him. There was no way that she wouldn't recognize him, the man was quite publicly known throughout every region. From the signature tousled, steel coloured hair, to his bright blue eyes and the stylish, classy business suit, it could only be one person.

"Steven Stone?" she blurted out in shock.

The owner, who had been engrossed in the newspaper he had retrieved, looked up, to finally notice the blonde standing inches away from him with a look of bewilderment on her face. Steven studied the blonde in front of him; he recognized her from somewhere. And then, it just seemed to hit him.

"Cynthia!" he exclaimed, with a rather wide smile. "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you at last, and yes, I'm Steven, but I assume you already know that."

Cynthia still couldn't seem to answer the man; she felt that she must have looked like a right idiot, as she stood there gaping at him. But Steven just gave a slight chuckle at her expression, as he held his hand out.

"Well, if this isn't a rather strange coincidence."

That seemed to do it. Cynthia finally managed to shake herself out of her rather stupefied state.

"Indeed it is," Cynthia managed to answer him. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you as well, Mr Stone." She raised her right hand and placed it into his outstretched one. "May I ask, is this your villa?"

Steven lowered his head to place a small kiss onto the back of her hand before releasing it. Cynthia could feel the warmth spreading from that hand into her face.

"Please, Steven will do. And yes, this is my villa for the time being. I had it built specifically for my stay here," he answered, paying no heed to the slight blush that had appeared over her face, or he could have been just politely ignoring it, to save any further embarrassment on her behalf. Either way, Cynthia was grateful.

After finally letting her embarrassment settle; Cynthia cleared her throat.

"If you pardon me for being so blunt, can I ask, why are you in Sinnoh?" she enquired.

Steven clicked his fingers together on his right hand.

"Ah, well you see, I finally managed to get some time off from my champion duties, so I thought it was about time that I broadened my outlooks, with regards to my hobbies. And what better place to start than Sinnoh, with its rich history and vast areas of land filled with rare stones, waiting to be discovered." Steven glanced at the intrigue that he could see register on her face, before a small smile settled on her lips.

"Well then, I welcome you to Sinnoh, Steven, and I hope; that our rich land can provide you with what you are looking for. And remember, if you need any advice, or any help, then please, do not hesitate to ask."

A smile appeared over his face, as she welcomed him to her region, before a thought flicked through his mind, as he clicked his fingers together again.

"Oh, excuse me, where are my manners. Please do come in Cynthia," Steven asked, as he stepped to the left and indicted for her to enter the villa.

Cynthia's eyes widened.

"Oh no please, do not trouble yourself Steven, I was just passing through," she managed to stutter out, but it seemed, Steven wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Please, I insist. It'd be nice to actually speak to a native of the region, to find out where the best places to investigate would be; and who better than the region's champion? You just said so yourself, all I needed to do was ask," he said, before clapping his hands together. "And besides, it will also be nice to finally speak to a fellow champion."

Cynthia sighed, he was persistent; she'd give him that; but then again, he did have very valid points, not to mention it was rude to decline a second invitation.

With that, Cynthia gave a little smile, before stepping past him and entering into the villa, with Steven following close behind.

* * *

"Might I make a suggestion?" Cynthia stated, before taking a sip of the tea he had so kindly made for her. She saw him give a little nod of approval. "I would personally start with Iron Island, as there is quite a few caverns there, that I'm sure you will find some rare stones in." She took another sip of her tea. "Also, there are very few people who venture to the island, unless they are training, so it should be pretty quiet. In fact, I can actually ask a colleague of mine to take you there, if that appeals to you?"

After discovering his intentions in Sinnoh, when she'd first met him, she'd informed him; that she had her own rather extensive map of the region, with specific points and factoids scribbled on it, that he might find of interest as well. He'd been intrigued, and she'd offered to get it copied for him, to which he was quite agreeable too.

After coming to drop off a copy of this map, he'd invited her in for cup of tea, as a form of thank you for her generosity. She knew it would be impolite to not accept, so she happily agreed to his offer. (Besides, he wouldn't take no for an answer, she'd learnt that from when they first met.) So, here she now sat, in this rather luxurious villa, drinking tea.

"Well, I must say; that is extremely helpful, and no doubt that I will probably take you up on that offer." A gentle smile broke out across his face, as he lifted his mug of coffee to take a sip. "And I do appreciate this, by the way," he stated, after lowering his mug, and pointing to the map she had brought.

"You're welcome," she replied sincerely, before a gentle smile spread across her lips as well, before she raised her own mug once again.

Truth be told, she was actually quite glad that she'd made his acquaintance.

* * *

"You know, we seem to have an uncanny ability, to be in the same place, at the same time," Cynthia said, giving a slight chuckle in amusement. "You're not stalking me are you?"

He gave a little laugh in response.

"I'd call it more, a happy coincidence. And no, I am not, although, I could ask the same of you."

She burst into laughter at his response and he joined in, immediately after.

They were currently sat out in the back garden of his villa, enjoying a leisurely drink, as they watched their pokemon relax in the villa's lush greenery and swimming pool.

It was bizarre, but recently, over the last few days at least, they both seemed to have an uncanny knack, for being in the same place, at the same time. She'd been just leaving the Oreburgh library, while he was departing the Oreburgh mining museum, when they had run into each other this time.

After a pleasant greeting between them, he'd informed her of his examination of the rather extensive collection of rare stones; that the museum had to offer, before she mentioned that she'd been in the library, researching into the ties between the legendary Regigigas and the Hoenn Regi trio. He'd been curious upon hearing that, to know what she had discovered, because the topic of the legendary Regi trio; was something that he had always taken a keen interest in, and he was also beyond intrigued on discovering how they tied in, with the legendary from this region.

So, based upon intrigue and curiosity, he'd invited her to his villa, so that she could shed some light on what she had discovered, along with sharing his discoveries on the subject, from the Hoenn perspective. Much to his delight, she'd agreed, and that's where they found themselves now.

She'd already recounted much of what she had discovered, and he had reciprocated as much as he could, by what he could remember off the top of his head.

He gave a little sigh.

"I'm sorry I can't really be much more of a help. I do have a lot of my research written down, but they are currently in my journals at home," he stated rather sullenly, before a thought crossed his mind. He clicked his fingers together. "I'll tell you what, I'll see if I can get them shipped over soon, so you can read them."

Cynthia shook her head, her Lucario headband, swaying with the movement.

"Oh please don't trouble yourself over this, it's fine. There's plenty of time, I can wait."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all," he replied with a shake of his head, as his tousled hair ruffled with the breeze. "I want to help; and besides, it's nice to find someone, who shares similar interests. It's quite refreshing."

Cynthia couldn't help the little smile that flittered across her lips; she had to agree with him, she'd never met anyone before, who'd shared similar passions to her, like he did.

A moment of peaceful tranquillity passed, as the voices of their pokemon wafted on the cool breeze, before Steven cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should exchange numbers?"

Cynthia could feel her cheeks flush slightly, from his request. At her flushed features, his cheeks turned slightly pink, before he hurried on.

"I mean; it'll be easier that way right? Because, I can then let you know when the research arrives from Hoenn."

A rather amused smile broke out over her lips, as she observed his rather flustered expression, as he awkwardly attempted to cover up his rather bold request. He was truly one of a kind, and she was glad that she had met him and got to know him a bit better; he'd become a good friend.

Cynthia briefly froze at the thought, before shaking her head, cursing her own hesitancy; that's what they were now wasn't it, friends?

She'd like to think so, and I'm sure he did as well.

* * *

"As promised, here's my full research into the famous Hoenn Regi trio," he stated; pointing towards a collection of journals that sat atop of his coffee table. "I had my father ship them to me from Hoenn."

He'd called her a few hours ago to inform her of that. She'd been busy with her league requirements when he called, but she had dutifully informed him; that she'd drop by after she had finished, to pick them up. Which is now where she found herself, sat on the sofa inside the villa.

"And don't worry about rushing with them. Please, take your time, I'm in no hurry to take them back."

Cynthia couldn't help the rather bright smile that blossomed on her face. He was an amazing friend.

Steven had to take in a sudden breath at the bright smile that appeared over her features. Her smile was one of the most, if not the most, beautiful form of appreciation he'd ever received.

* * *

She strode confidently up to the villa's front door. She'd messaged Steven earlier, to see if he was available. He'd replied, saying he was doing some cataloguing of his collection, and that he was remaining at the villa for the day.

As she reached the front door, she raised her left hand to knock. As she waited, she couldn't stop the feeling of excitement from rushing through her, as she shuffled from foot to foot. What she had discovered was big, and it was all thanks to his research; that he had let her borrow, because it had allowed her to discover something; that shed some light on the connection between all the Regi legendaries.

After she'd discovered this rather remarkable breakthrough, there was no way that she wasn't going to share this piece of wonderful news with him. She just knew he'd be just as intrigued and excited.

Just then, she heard a lock being turned; the front door opened, and then Cynthia found herself gazing into a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Hi!" she greeted excitedly. "I thought I'd drop by and update you on some of the things I've discovered with regards to the links between the Regi legendaries, thanks to your research." She raised her right hand to show him the notebook that she was holding there. "Your mind's going to be blown!"

Steven smiled wide in response; her enthusiasm was contagious. He couldn't help but be struck by how beautiful she appeared, when she was this excited.

"By all means, please come in," Steven replied, before standing sideways in the doorway, to allow her to enter. "I'm most intrigued to hear this."

She beamed back at him, before stepping over the threshold and into the villa.

As she strode past him, Steven caught a whiff of her perfume; he couldn't help but inhale its rather intoxicating scent. He let out a small sigh; he'd realized something recently, something that threw him off balance. He'd realized; that he'd become rather fond of her, to the point, where he was now positive; that his feelings had gone way beyond platonic for her.

He gave another little sigh. Unfortunately, this piece of information put him in quite the dilemma. He knew how he felt, but he had no clue as to what her feelings were towards him. He knew for a fact; that she now thought of him as a close friend, but had her feelings deepened? Was there something more there? He didn't want to push, for fear of driving her away; he couldn't bear the thought of that, as she'd become rather special to him.

"Steven?"

He could hear her call out to him from inside the villa.

"Coming!" He called back, as he shook his head, in order to clear his thoughts, before closing the door and following her inside.

He gave another little sigh as he caught sight of her sat on his sofa. Regardless of her feelings, he couldn't be anymore thankful for meeting her that day, and then getting the chance to know her. No matter what she felt, he was just extremely grateful that she was in his life at all, whether they remained best friends, or became something more.

* * *

"What is this one called again?" Cynthia enquired, as she observed the rather dark, dirty and dusty stone; that she held out in front of her.

"It's called, Serendibite." Steven replied. "And believe it or not, it's quite rare, especially, in that colour."

Cynthia glanced to her right, to look at the man currently sitting there.

It had been another, rather funny coincidence to have bumped into him again. She'd been in Celestic Town visiting her grandmother, and she'd just been about to call out Garchomp to take her home; when she had spotted him exiting one of the many entrances to Mt. Coronet. She'd been quite surprised to see him, but it quickly evaporated as she made her way over to greet him; she knew she couldn't leave without at least saying hello, as he was, what she now considered a close friend.

Steven had been quite surprised to see her too, but was happy nonetheless. After greeting her, he'd given her a brief overview at what he had discovered in the Labyrinth that was Mt Coronet. To say she had been intrigued was an understatement. After seeing her expression, he'd invited her to his villa, so he could explain more, which she happily agreed to, as she was quite curious to see what he had found on his travels.

So here they now sat, both of them, side by side on the villa's sofa, with a variety of stones scattered over his coffee table in front of them, and her, holding and examining this particular stone.

Cynthia turned the stone over in her hand a few times, before deciding to blow some of the dust off the outer shell, in order to try and get a better look at it. However, unfortunately for her, she'd misjudged the amount of dust that seemed to be coating the stone, meaning, as soon as the air parted from her lips, some of that dust, had flown back into her face, and more annoyingly, into her eye. She groaned in annoyance.

She could hear Steven give a little laugh, but she was too preoccupied with rubbing at the stray particles that had landed in her eye. Luckily, her other eye had been protected by her fringe, but still, she couldn't help but be annoyed with herself for her own stupidity.

"Stop rubbing your eye, you'll make it worse."

She could hear Steven say, but she couldn't see him, as the current stinging in her eye prevented it. She wasn't even going to bother to ask what the rest of her face looked like; luckily, she couldn't see it at the moment anyway.

"Face me," he commanded. "Let me see if I can remove the rest of this dust from your face."

Cynthia finally did as he commanded, and manoeuvred herself to the right, so that he could see her face.

Steven raised his left hand, as he began gently wiping away some of the dust smattering her face.

Finally, the stinging sensation seemed to ease, and she opened her eyes, just as his hand was brushing her right cheek. Their eyes met, as they both froze; deeply lost within each other's gaze. Steven stared into her visible eye, (the one that wasn't obscured by her fringe,) and he couldn't help but be mesmorized, by the way the light reflected off of her dark iris, because of the glassy effect it had, due to her constant rubbing.

It was then; that Steven felt something inside him ignite, as he could no longer find; that he could control or hold back his feelings for her any longer. There was no denying that he had been attracted to her from the moment they had met, but those feelings had only grown deeper over the past few weeks, and he knew, as of right now, he wanted more than her friendship; he wanted all of her.

With this epiphany, Steven slowly began to lean forward into her personal space, giving her ample opportunity to pull away if she wanted. Much to his relief, she didn't move. With that knowledge, he finally closed the remaining distance between them, closing his eyes just as he placed his lips over hers for a sweet kiss, all the while, keeping her face at his level, by the hand that he still had, resting on her cheek.

Cynthia was slightly taken off guard by his bold actions at first, but then she slowly settled into the kiss, before surrendering completely to the feelings he provoked from within her, as she finally gave into temptation. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying his affections, nor could she deny that she didn't have any feelings for him. She'd been attracted to him, since they day they had met, and there was no denying; that she'd been anticipating this.

"Hmm…I don't think, I had any remaining dust there, Mr Stone," she said softly, just after their lips separated, and their eyes reopened.

Steven leaned back into his seat, but still kept his left hand on her cheek.

"Hmm…well, I just thought I'd check to be sure. Besides, it pays to be thorough," he replied gently, before lowering his gaze to her lips once again. A sort of, thirsty longing began to stir within him, making him want to kiss her again. "Although, I do believe that I should recheck, just to be completely sure, as I think I wasn't thorough enough, that time."

Cynthia could see the desire burning within his irises as his heated gaze returned to hers. To be fair, she had never really expected these kinds of spontaneous actions from him, but she couldn't say she was disappointed; in fact, she was enjoying his attention and affections. She was more than willing to accept his offers, and maybe even bestow some of her own ideas on him.

She smirked.

"Hmm…by all means Mr Stone, check away," she responded seductively.

The permission was all he needed, as the hand that remained on her cheek held her steady, as he leaned in once again, to eagerly cover her lips with his.

* * *

"You know, we are being quite cliché about all of this," Cynthia amusedly said, with her head resting atop his bare chest, as they both lay against his bed, inside the villa's master bedroom.

After their quite memorable first kiss, (or kisses, would be the better term, as that had actually turned into a long, long make out session,) they had established a sort of routine, over the past two weeks. She'd attend her league duties, before flying over to his villa after her work was completed, in order to spend their evenings together in privacy; which generally consisted of catching up with each other on what they had done that day; while also, expressing some of their attraction towards each other. Although, that part had evolved slightly in the past five days, with this new, particular intimate activity starting between them. So technically, they had tweaked the routine slightly, but regardless, there was a routine.

"Hmm…there's nothing wrong with being cliché about things you know," he softly responded, as he moved to kiss the top of her head, while his left hand rubbed along her bare back. She shivered with pleasure at the feel of it. "Although, in fact, I wouldn't call this a cliché."

"Oh?" she questioned, as she raised her head off his chest, in order to look down into his face. "And pray tell Mr Stone, what would you call it then?"

He looked up at her through half lidded eyes, as his right hand lifted to brush the hair away from her face.

"I'd think I'd call it, something along the lines of, being domestic."

Cynthia smirked.

"You do realize that being domestic, is classed as a cliché?" she said amusedly. "In fact, being domestic is the biggest cliché of all."

Steven smirked in return at her playfulness.

"Hmm…I suppose you have a point," he replied, before lowering his right hand to join his left, now wrapped tightly around her waist. "Be that as it may, I don't think it actually matters what we call it really." With that, he rolled her over, so she was now flat on her back, with him hovering above her. "Call it what you will, I'm quite happy with it, regardless." And with that, he lowered his head to capture her lips in a deep kiss.

Cynthia sighed happily against his lips, as she raised her arms to wrap around his neck. He was right, regardless of what they called it; she rather enjoyed this routine that they'd made for themselves.

* * *

"You're heading back to Hoenn soon, aren't you?" she asked one evening, while she was snuggled up against him on the villa's leather sofa, her back to his front. She didn't want to ask, but she knew she had too.

He sighed; he knew she would ask this eventually, and there was no point in delaying the inevitable conversation any longer.

"Yes," he replied, while tightening his arms around her waist.

"When?"

"I leave in a week," he replied, while burying his face into her blonde tresses that covered the back of her neck.

Cynthia sighed; she knew it was coming, he was still the champion of his region, and she knew, that he had to return to fulfil his duties sooner or later. She understood this more than anyone, but that still didn't mean; that it didn't hurt all the same.

They'd grown so close, well…more than close. She'd never met anyone like him before. After the first few coincidental meetings, they had bonded over their interests and passions, and before she knew it, he had become a great friend, someone who she could talk to, and spend time with. However, shortly after that, she became all too aware, of the rather strong attraction she held for him. And then that attraction had spilled over, and she had fallen for him, hard and fast. He'd become so precious to her over the past few weeks, and now he had to leave. What was that famous saying, all good things have to come to an end? How right it proved to be.

She could feel her heart break with each passing second. She felt a droplet of water trickle down her face, which was quickly followed by more. She'd never been one to cry. After her parents had passed away, she had steeled herself to be strong, and to not give into weakness. But then again, she'd never felt this deeply for anyone before.

"Cynthia?"

She could hear him ask, words muffled by the fact that his head was still buried within her hair. But she couldn't answer him, her emotions were all a mess; she didn't want him to see her this way. They had precious few days left together; she didn't want to spoil them, even if the thought was tearing her up inside.

Unfortunately for her, she hadn't hid her emotions that well, and Steven picked up on the subtle tell tale signs. He knew she was crying, even if she tried valiantly to hide it. He knew she was upset, hell, even he was. The thought of leaving her, to go back to Hoenn; was like a knife stabbing his heart. However, even though he had to physically leave, this wouldn't stop him from being with her. She was everything to him, there was no way he was going to let her go; he just couldn't.

With that thought, Steven shifted and unlocked his right arm from around her, so he could turn her in his arms, to allow him to look at her beautiful face. She resisted at first, but when he kept on trying, she eventually gave in and turned to face him. Her visible eye was glassy, and he could see the tell tale signs of tear tracks, streaked down each of her cheeks. He'd been right.

"Hey, what's with these tears?" he asked, while raising his right hand to wipe away the tears that had spilled over.

She shook her head, as she tried to bury her face in his chest to hide, but he wouldn't let her.

"Cynthia, look at me please," he asked softly.

The way he asked, pulled at Cynthia's heartstrings, and she gave in, and raised her eyes to his.

"I may be leaving Sinnoh Cynthia, but I'm not leaving you. I couldn't leave you."

She looked at him in slight confusion, how could he not be leaving her? His words didn't make a lot of sense. She was just about to question him on the matter, but the feeling of his finger over her lips halted her.

"Please, let me finish."

She could see the strong emotions swirling deep within his bright, blue eyes; the ones that she could happily drown in forever.

Steven raised his right hand, to push aside her fringe that covered the left side of her face, so he could gaze deeply into both of her breathtaking eyes. It was time she knew, he'd kept it to himself long enough. He was ready. He took a deep breath.

"These past few weeks with you, have been some of the best days of my life. I came to Sinnoh looking for rare stones, but I ended up finding something else, or rather someone else; something that I hadn't planned for." He moved his right hand to cup her cheek, before leaning in to place his lips gently over hers. He pulled back after a few seconds, to gaze into her eyes once again.

Cynthia's breath caught in her throat, as she observed the warmth she could see radiating from his eyes.

"No matter how far apart we may be physically, I will always be there for you Cynthia, whenever and wherever you need me. I never expected to find someone as beautiful, intelligent and as amazing as you, and this is why, I'm not leaving the region really, because my heart is remaining in Sinnoh…with you."

It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her. Cynthia could now put a name to the emotions, that she could see shining out of his eyes. Now she knew what he meant, when he said he wasn't leaving her. He loved her, she knew that now, and she'd be lying, if she said she didn't reciprocate his feelings. She felt those tears surfacing once again, but this time, it was out of happiness, not sadness.

Steven could see the tears forming in her eyes once again, and he was slightly worried that he had taken it too far, but then the most beautiful smile blossomed on her face. He could feel the happiness seeping from her in waves, and in that moment, he just knew that she felt the same. At that realization, he finally let the words flow freely from his mouth.

"I love you, Cynthia," he said softly, before leaning in once again to cover her lips with his, but this time, with more passion.

She reciprocated in kind, by raising her left hand to behind his head, in order to bring him in closer, before deepening the kiss. She could feel his right arm rejoin his left around her waist, as she was pulled tightly up against him.

After endless blissful moments, they eventually pulled away, both breathless.

"I love you too, Steven," she said breathlessly, before removing her hand from behind his head to cup his cheek, as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. "And I will keep your heart safe with me in Sinnoh, and I will never let it go, as long as you keep mine safe in Hoenn, with you."

After minutes of staring dreamily into each other's eyes, Cynthia decided to ask the question that she had been pondering in the back of her mind, ever since Steven had mentioned his departure.

"What'll happen to the villa?"

"Well, someone has already bought it. In fact, all I have to do is sign it over to them before I leave," he replied, before sighing. "It's a shame that I have to sell it on, I've actually grown quite fond of the place."

"Hmm…me too," Cynthia agreed, before a bright smile appeared on her face. "Although, this does now mean that when you visit next time, we will have to find a new place to spend our time together in."

Steven gave a wide smile in return.

"Hmm…I guess you're right," he thoughtfully replied, while using his right hand to stroke through her long, golden locks. "So, here's a plan. How about the next time I come visit, we go looking for that place together? A place that we can call ours."

Cynthia smirked, before raising herself onto her right arm, so she was now looking down on him.

"I think that that Mr Stone, is a brilliant idea," she responded, before leaning down to kiss him passionately, all the while, pushing him onto his back, before climbing on top of him.

It was true that he was leaving the region, but he'd be back, she will make damn sure of that, because love works both ways, and she would never leave him either.

* * *

As Steven signed his name and handed over the deeds of the villa to the agent, he felt slightly remorseful in relinquishing a place; that held so many memories of his time here. But then again, it was the moments that were shared in there, that were precious, not so much the building itself.

As he began making his way off the land, just before he released Metagross, he turned and glanced once more at the villa. It was like an ending to a chapter in a book, it seemed so final. But really, in actual fact, that chapter may be ending, but a new one was just beginning.

He didn't need a villa; he had something far more wonderful now. The region itself may not have needed a rock collector, but its champion did, and he was more than fine with that, in fact, he loved it.

* * *

 **And there we have it. What did you all think? I hope I did it justice for you, and I hope it wasn't too confusing with page breaks. I did try and keep it realistic, and to have some sort of flow between each of them, as a sort of timeline.**

 **And trust me, I was actually largely disappointed that they made Steven leave in that manga, it would have been awesome to have him there, especially to see him and Cynthia together, taking down Team Galactic, but hey ho. I suppose at least I get to see him in the ORAS arc, but roll on the Sinnoh remakes as well, I can't wait to see what Cynthia will be like in them. (Mega Garchomp: shudder.)**

 **On a side note, Serendibite is actually a stone, and it is extremely rare in black form, apparently.**

 **Mind you, two chapters within three days, I'm quite impressed, but I did have this one more or less written before real life interfered, so it was only a case of tweaking and proof reading.**

 **Keep them suggestions coming, and FYI, I think the next upload will be the battle story everyone is requesting, but trust me when I say, that one is going to have a twist.**

 **So, until then dear readers, thanks again.**


	12. The Battle

**Hello once again, and welcome back everyone. (And yes, I decided to shorten the opening title, so now it's just 'The Dark Steel Sketchbook.' But no fear, all the stories that I've posted already, are still here, I just thought I'd shorten the title.)**

 **Anyway, onto this chapter.** **Now, as far as this story goes, as the title implies, this is the highly requested battle story, at long last.**

 **With regards to this story, it does of course feature Cynthia and Steven, but I'm not saying much else here, as it will ruin the whole story for you.**

 **There are also mentions of other characters in here too, but that's as much as I am willing to share here, otherwise, once again, it'll spoil it!**

 **And as I mentioned in the footnotes in the previous chapter, this story, does feature quite a twist! So you have been warned.**

 **If you manage to figure out the twist, before it's revealed, then top marks!**

 **FYI, this is actually my first time writing a battle scene, so I hope I've done it justice for you all.**

 **I think I can safely say, that this story can be rated K+, as I personally don't think anything in here, can be considered a higher rating.**

 **No ties to any previous chapters either.**

 _ **Cynthia's thoughts are in italics.**_

 **See you at the end...**

* * *

The stage was set. It all came down to this; a one-on-one pokemon battle; winner takes all.

His blue eyes narrowed, as he took in his opponent; that was stood directly across the field from him. He could see the steely glint in her eye from where he was stood, and her rather stoic, determined and elegant stance; was enough of an indication to him; that she meant business. She wasn't going to go down easily, that's for sure.

He cleared his throat, as he shouted across the battlefield.

"Ladies first!"

"My pleasure," she replied, blonde hair shining in the sunlight, as she moved to throw the pokeball she held in her hand. "Lucario, I choose you." With that, the pokeball opened, and through the bright flash of light, the steel type fighter appeared with a loud cry.

He smirked; he guessed that she'd use this particular pokemon. Lucario was known for being a fighter, but more importantly, its biggest strength was its speed. The canine was well known for producing blistering quick attacks. But no matter, he'd have to use a pokemon; that was strong in both its defence and attack. He raised the pokeball that he held in his right hand.

"Go, Armaldo!" he cried, while throwing the pokeball in front of him, as Armaldo made its timely appearance, with a cry of it's own.

She smirked in return. That was actually, not a bad selection on his part. Even though Armaldo wasn't as quick as Lucario by any stretch of the imagination, that still didn't make it any less of a formidable opponent. In fact, Armaldo could be a dangerous opponent, as the once fossilized pokemon, definitely knew some hard hitting, close combat moves; that could do some serious damage to Lucario, if they landed. But if she had her way, she wouldn't let that happen.

"So, I assume it's still ladies first?" she shouted to her opponent. She could see him nodding his head. Ever the gentleman was he. "Well then, I hope you're ready." She could see him smile in response.

"Ready, when you are!" he shot back. "Let the battle commence."

She didn't need a second invitation.

"Let's go Lucario. Let's start with Focus Energy," she commanded, as the canine nodded its head in approval. The steel type lowered itself to a crouch, as it began to focus its mind and energy, in preparation for the oncoming battle.

He raised his right eyebrow on hearing her command. He guessed that she would start with some form of stat improving move. Well, if that's the way she wanted to play it; then he'd have to reciprocate in kind.

"Okay Armaldo, let's prepare you for the oncoming attacks. Use Harden." The prehistoric pokemon nodded its head, just as the plates covering its body began to shine.

She narrowed her eyes. It appeared, that they were both on the same page. Well, that was about to change, it was time to go on the offence.

"Okay Lucario, use Brick Break!" With another bow of its head, the steel type took off across the battlefield.

"Amarldo, use Protect!" On the spoken command, Armaldo curled in on itself slightly, as Lucario lunged forward.

When Lucario finally made impact, its attack ended up colliding with the hardened plates covering Armaldo's body. The force of the impact caused Lucario to recoil off of Armaldo, and go skidding across the battlefield, chucking up dirt and debris as it went.

Her eyes slightly narrowed again. The attack wasn't strong enough to break through Armaldo's defence like that, which of course, he must have known. Her right eye twitched. Well, it looks like she'd have to try it another way then.

"Lucario, Flash Cannon!" With that, the steel type rose back onto its two hind legs, as a mass energy ball gathered between its paws. Once Lucario had gathered enough power, the canine fired the blinding flash of energy towards Armaldo.

His blue eyes widened in alarm. He knew, even with Armaldo using Protect, its body wouldn't be able to sustain such a powerful attack without receiving some serious damage.

"Armaldo, dodge it!"

On hearing the rather alarmed command, the once fossilized pokemon, jumped to the side, but was caught slightly off balance, due to it still being curled in on itself slightly, and due to the force of the previous attack hitting the ground; which caused a slight tremor on its impact. This; didn't go unnoticed.

"Quick Lucario, use Brick Break again!" Lucario charged forward once again, and this time, landed a rather hard and direct hit, on the still unbalanced rock type. Armaldo gave a cry as it stumbled backwards under the power of the attack.

His eyebrow twitched in agitation, he should have seen that coming. He should have guessed that she'd use a move to cause a distraction. He couldn't deny though, that she'd planned that to perfection. He glanced at her; even from his position, he could see the subtle little smirk she gave at the landed attack. He narrowed his eyes; he wouldn't be caught out again.

"You ready to return the favour Armaldo?" The prehistoric pokemon nodded in affirmation. "Then let's not delay any longer. Use Water Gun!" With that command, Armaldo stood tall, as it released a powerful, focussed blast of water; that was sent hurtling across the battlefield.

"Lucario, use Protect!" Lucario lowered itself into a crouched position, as a white barrier of energy appeared around it, seconds before the powerful blast of water made impact. She observed how Lucario seemed to be gritting its teeth, at the impact of the water on its projected shield. That; was some powerful Water Gun.

As soon as the barrage of water ceased, she wasted no time in deploying her next command.

"Now Lucario, Extreme Speed!" The steel type's ear twitched slightly; before it launched itself from its crouched position at breakneck speed towards Armaldo.

"Quick Armaldo, use Double Team, to evade the attack!" Amarldo gave a slight nod, before creating a vast projection of identical images of itself; that ended up surrounding half of the battlefield.

With the blistering speed that Lucario was travelling at, the canine had no way of stopping, in order to identify where Armaldo actually was, therefore, inevitably causing it to charge through one of the projected images instead.

She narrowed her eyes; that had been quite a smart move on his part. By using Double Team, Lucario's attack was rendered useless, as the steel type pokemon, couldn't decipher where Armaldo actually was. This now gave him a chance of landing an attack at close range, which he had no hesitation in taking.

"Armaldo, use Slash!" Amarldo, who was still hidden under the guise of Double Team, launched forward from behind Lucario with one of its sharp claws, and slashed at its back. Lucario gave out a loud cry, as the attack sent the canine, hurtling back towards the opposite end of the battlefield.

Lucario gave a low growl, as it rose back to its feet.

"Are you okay Lucario?" she asked the steel type. Lucario gave a rather confident nod. It had endured harder attacks than that in past battles; it would take a lot more than what it had just endured, to take it down.

She returned her gaze to her opponent stood across the battlefield from her; he was standing rather confidently, with the once fossilized pokemon, now stood calmly in front of him, flexing it claws, as it awaited further instructions. She gritted her teeth in determination; he'd definitely outmanoeuvred her in that attack, but no matter, if it was a battle of wits that he wanted; then she was more than happy to comply with his wishes.

"Okay Lucario, let's take this up a level. Aura Sphere!" A dark mass of energy emerged between the canine's paws; which was then released at blinding speed towards its opponent.

"Quick Armaldo, use Ancient Power!" With that command, a vibrating sound began emanating from the rock pokemon, as a mass of psychic energy began to surround it, before it was released with a loud cry, towards the mass of energy; that was heading its way.

With a rather loud bang, both attacks impacted in the centre of the battlefield.

They both had to close their eyes, in order to shield themselves from the mass explosion of white light; that emanated from the combined impact of both attacks.

Just as the dust settled, both reopened their eyes, to encounter a rather large crater; that had been created in the ground; due to their combined attacks colliding on impact. Both attacks, had been extremely powerful, but both pokemon seemed mildly unaffected by their use of such power. But then again, they were champion pokemon, so it was hardly surprising. However, they were both right with their earlier assumptions on each other, neither one of them was going down without a fight.

"It seems that we've hit a sort of stalemate," he exclaimed, as his eyes remained fixed on the rather large crater, that they'd created. "It seems that we are both evenly matched."

"It appears so," she replied, before a smirk reappeared once again over her face. "But, I'm not giving in."

He smirked in response.

"Neither am I," he shouted back, as he locked gazes with her.

"Then let's step this up a level. Lucario…"

"By all means. Armaldo…"

They both began, and just as they were about to announce their next attacks…

"Jayden and Amethyst Stone! What have I told you about using our pokemon, without our permission and supervision!"

Upon hearing the rather annoyed voice calling out to them, both their eyes widened as they froze. Even Armaldo and Lucario seemed to freeze. This wasn't good, they'd been caught, and now they were in trouble, and judging from the tone of the voice that shouted out to them, they were in very, big trouble.

* * *

Jayden and Amethyst's widened eyes, locked across the makeshift battlefield, as they heard the tell tale signs of heels approaching. It was no use delaying the inevitable telling off they were about to receive any longer. They both swallowed hard, giving each other a little nod in the process, before finally turning to face the music.

When they finally turned, they both locked gazes with their mother, who was standing a few inches away, with her arms folded, sporting a rather disappointed and unhappy expression on her face. Behind her, stood the menacing figure of her Garchomp, who bore a similar expression to that of its trainer. Both children shuddered.

"How many times, do I have to repeat myself? The both of you, are not permitted to use mine, or your father's pokemon, for any purposes, unless one of us is there to supervise you."

With that, both children lowered their gazes to the floor in shame; they knew their mother was right.

Cynthia cast her eyes around the grassy land that stood between her children. It looked like a glorified mess. Scorch marks and craters decorated the field from where their pokemon attacks had impacted. She huffed in annoyance; _they were damn lucky they hadn't hurt themselves._

"And you," she raised her finger, to point towards the two pokemon. "Aren't off the hook either. You both should've known better."

Garchomp made a noise of approval from just behind her, as its piercing, yellow eyes, scrutinized the two pokemon.

Both Lucario and Armaldo, had the grace to hang their heads slightly in apology, or it could have been because of the glare that Garchomp was still giving them from over her shoulder. The land shark pokemon, had become a sort of, matriarch pokemon in their household, and she took the role rather seriously. The message was pretty clear; no one messed with Garchomp.

Cynthia lowered her hand and sighed, as she observed the bowed heads of both her children and pokemon. In one sense, she was thankful that it had only been these two pokemon; that her offspring had decided to use. Lord help her if it had been some of her's or Steven's other pokemon; that could have been disastrous, especially, if it had been her husband's Skarmory. That bird, had serious anger issues, and would have definitely taken this scenario, far more seriously. _Thank god for small miracles_ , Cynthia thought to herself.

"But mum," Amethyst managed to stutter out, as she raised her head. "We were allowed to use Armaldo and Lucario."

Cynthia locked eyes with her daughter. She had to give her credit, out of the both of them; she was the more confrontational and confident one. But then again, she was more or less, a carbon copy of herself, so she wouldn't have expected anything less. The only indication that Amethyst was Steven's daughter at all; was the colour of her eyes, (but even they were a darker shade than her husband's,) and her interest in geology.

She glanced at Jayden, who was nodding his head in agreement, to Amethyst's statement. Jayden, was the complete opposite of his sister; as he tended to be less confrontational on matters, as he preferred solitude, and would rather shy away from things, in order to keep the peace. _No doubt about it, he is definitely, Steven's son._ He was even the spitting image of his father. The only indication that he was her son in his physical features, possibly, was that his eyes were dark, and identical to Amethyst's. Even Jayden's mannerisms and personality, was all Steven.

Cynthia retuned her gaze to her daughter and raised her right eyebrow, awaiting her explanation.

"You see mum, Uncle Wallace said we could," Amethyst explained, as she made her way over to stand next to her brother. "He said, that we could use them."

Cynthia sighed in annoyance, _speak of the devil._ She'd been wondering when the name-dropping would start.

The aforementioned, 'Uncle Wallace,' was Steven's closest friend, and current champion of Hoenn; and was actually, godfather to both of their children. She'd never been overly fond of him personally, as he tended to annoy her more than anything, but for Steven's and her children's sake, she made the effort.

She couldn't fault the man in some respects, he was loyal, a great ally, especially, when you needed someone to defend your corner, plus, he'd been a rather good friend to her husband for many years, and both their children liked spending time with him.

Although, she'd always been weary of leaving their children with him, as he could tend to be a bit airheaded, so to say, and not to mention, she was immensely afraid, that they might pick up on some of his more flamboyant traits. _If one of our children ever comes out with the word 'fabulous' at any point, I'm not quite sure what I'd do_. Cynthia shuddered at the thought.

However, unfortunately, she'd had no choice but to leave them in his care today. With Steven being tied up with helping his father, with regards to the Devon business, and with her having a rather, important appointment with the doctor, she'd had to make last minute arrangements.

Cynthia glanced once more around the surrounding area, only to notice that the aforementioned uncle; was actually, nowhere to be seen.

"Where is your Uncle Wallace anyway?"

Garchomp gave a slight growl at the name; she wasn't a big fan of him either.

Both children glanced at each other, before returning their gaze to their mother. As neither child, seemed to want to give an answer, Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

"Well?"

She could see Amethyst nudge her brother slightly, while Jayden shot a mini glare in her direction, before facing Cynthia once again. Jayden gave a little cough.

"Well…it was…he said…well…" Jayden managed to stutter out, unsuccessfully, trying to piece together any sort of coherent sentence.

Cynthia inwardly smiled at the rather flustered expression her son was sporting, as it was one that she'd seen, countless number of times on her husband's face. She gave an inward chuckle; _like father, like son._

However, Jayden's rather inept lack of forming any coherent sentences; seemed to irritate his sister, as Amethyst gave an eye roll before clearing her throat.

"Well, you see mum," she began explaining. "Uncle Wallace was watching us, but then…he sort of…got distracted."

Cynthia had to raise her eyebrow at that.

"Distracted? In what way was he distracted?"

"Well…Uncle Wallace was showing us some of his Milotic's contest moves, but then…" Jayden (who had managed to find some words) replied, before trailing off.

"But then, what?" Cynthia asked, while narrowing her eyes, once again.

Jayden seemed to have lost what little confidence he had, as he nudged his sister with his elbow. Amethyst rolled her eyes, again.

"But then he sort of got distracted, by some female contest performers, mum."

Cynthia lowered her head into the palm of her hand; _y_ _ou've got to be kidding me_.

"They were fawning all over Uncle Wallace. Then they explained that they were heading over to the arena, to show off some of their pokemon performance moves."

Cynthia shook her head against her palm; _this had to be a joke_.

"And then they asked Uncle Wallace, if he would come and judge some of their moves."

Cynthia sighed, _of course they did_.

"And then he said, he'd only be gone for about 30 minutes, and that we could let Lucario and Armaldo out of their pokeballs."

Cynthia finally raised her head to gaze back at her children.

"And that we could use them, if we wanted to," Amethyst finished explaining.

Cynthia shook her head in bewilderment at the entire situation; _w_ _hat sane person, in their right mind, would leave a seven year old and six year old unattended, with access to very powerful pokemon?_ Cynthia sighed in annoyance. She was going to have to have a few stern words with Wallace about this, _or maybe, I should just set Garchomp on him_ , she thought menacingly.

Cynthia once again gazed at her offspring, as they both displayed rather sheepish expressions. She sighed again.

"Regardless, of what your uncle may, or may not have said, I don't think he would have implied that you could do this," Cynthia reprimanded. Although, this was Wallace she was talking about, the man that would happily leave two children alone, with powerful pokemon at their disposal, so anything was entirely possible.

However, she was positive that he wouldn't condone this kind of behaviour, because he knew he'd have to endure, not only her wrath, but Steven's as well. _Speaking of..._

"Wait until I tell your father what you have been up to, again." She supposed that wasn't much of a threat, in some respects. Out of the two of them, she was the sterner parent out of them both, but that wasn't to say that Steven couldn't be, he could, especially, when anything threatened the safety of any of his children, herself included as well.

Both children glanced at each other, before lowering their heads to stare at the ground once again.

Cynthia sighed; she didn't want to seem too strict or mean, but then again, they both needed to understand; that these situations could be dangerous, especially, as they were using extremely, powerful pokemon, and at their young age, they still lacked the experience on how to depict and control, how these things could turn out. They could end up severely hurting themselves, if they were left to their own devices, like they had been, and that was something both she and Steven, couldn't bear to witness.

But it was all water under the bridge now, there was no point dwelling on it any longer.

"Come on, let's go," Cynthia exclaimed, as both children raised their gazes back to her. "Let's go and have a word with that uncle of yours."

With that, Cynthia turned, and headed back in the direction she came from, with Garchomp close on her heels. She could hear the tell tale signs of Armaldo and Lucario being returned to their pokeballs, and then she glanced over her shoulder to see Jayden and Amethyst, falling into line behind her.

"Oh, the joys of having children," Cynthia commented with a slight chuckle, to the land shark pokemon aside of her.

Garchomp gave a low growl in agreement.

* * *

It was late when they had returned to Mossdeep, to the house that they had rented for their trips to Hoenn. The ride home had been silent; both children had been quiet and remorseful, afraid that they would incriminate themselves more and encourage further wrath from their mother, if they did speak. But unbeknownst to them, Cynthia had already forgiven them, regardless of their rather, reckless behaviour earlier. She couldn't stay mad at them for long, and neither could Steven, to be fair. They were, all in all, generally well-behaved children; which was a blessing.

However, recently, they'd both become too eager, to start growing up. To be honest, both her and Steven had expected this would happen eventually, especially, with them both being champions; well, Steven was long retired, but still. Add to the fact; that Jayden would actually, be starting his journey in three years as it was, and Amethyst a year behind that, both children had started to realize, that it wouldn't be long before they got to experience their own adventure, therefore, they should start preparing themselves.

Cynthia sighed, they were growing up so fast; time seemed to be flying by. She could clearly understand what they were both feeling though, as she'd experienced something similar, when she was their age. However, she just wished sometimes, that they weren't in such a hurry to grow up.

Cynthia sighed again. She was currently sat, curled up on the sofa with a book, awaiting Steven's return. The children were already in bed, fast asleep, exhausted after a rather eventful day. She raised her glass of water to her lips and took a sip, before returning the glass to the coffee table to the side of her. She'd have much preferred a glass of wine, but unfortunately, certain circumstances didn't allow for that. She smiled softly; well she could hardly say she was upset about it.

The sound of a set of keys opening the door; finally broke her out of her musings. She raised her gaze, to see Steven making his way through the door. She smiled as her eyes connected with his.

Steven smiled in return, before locking the door and making his way over to her.

As he reached her, he bent down to bestow a kiss on her lips, before depositing himself on the sofa next to her, and taking her right hand in his left to hold. Cynthia closed her book; placing it next to her glass on the coffee table, before turning around slightly, to face her husband. He looked exhausted.

"So, how'd it go?"

"Quite tedious to be honest," Steven explained with a sigh. "Although, we've settled things down for now, and I'm sure my father can handle the rest." Steven then squeezed her hand. "Anyway, how'd your appointment go?"

Cynthia smiled; then squeezed his hand in return.

"Everything is fine," she replied with a smile. "Although, you'll never guess what I happened to witness this afternoon, that involved both of our offspring?"

Steven narrowed his eyes slightly in thought, before recognition flashed in his eyes.

"Please don't tell me…"

"Yep," she nodded her head in agreement.

Steven raised his hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"And it seems that our children, thought it'd be wise, to take part in their own pokemon battle, with both your Armaldo and my Lucario."

Steven dropped his hand instantly, before snapping his gaze to hers, and widening his eyes in concern.

"They weren't hurt were they?"

Cynthia could see the worry, and could hear the slight panic in his voice, but she shook her head.

"No," she replied. "Luckily, I intervened during it." She could see Steven deflate, and the concerns dissipate slightly, with her reassurance. "Although, I'm sure you'll be receiving a phone call off Wallace soon though, complaining about the rather stern words I gave him earlier, for leaving our children unattended with our pokemon."

"Oh joy," Steven replied sarcastically, before shaking his head and giving a little chuckle. "Well, I suppose in some respects, we did sort of guess this was coming."

"Hmm…I know," Cynthia, replied softly, as she gave a sigh, before resting her head on his left shoulder. "But I just don't want them to rush themselves into growing up too quick. I know that they both feel like they have high expectations already placed on them, because of who we are, and the fact that they are our children, but I just don't want them thinking that because of that, they need to grow up quicker."

Steven leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"I know dear, trust me, I feel the same. But I guess, every parent goes through this at some point," he responded with a sigh of his own. "And besides, we still have a few years to go yet before they start their journeys. So I think, we should just make the most of the time we have, and not worry too much about the future just yet. Let's just focus on the present."

Cynthia hummed in agreement.

"Hmm…I guess you're right," she replied, before lifting her head from his shoulder, to gaze into his bright blue eyes. A little smirk began to appear on her face. "Although dear, we do have to make it a point, that they should only use our pokemon for studying or training purposes from now on. It wouldn't be fair to their new little brother or sister otherwise, because a two on one battle, isn't very fair at all."

* * *

 **And there we have it! I did warn you, there'd be a twist.**

 **I knew there was a high demand for me to write a battle scene, but I wanted to make it something different, rather than having just a standard battle scene between them. And what could be better, than having their offspring battle instead? Now you can probably understand why, I didn't use Steven's and Cynthia's signature pokemon in the battle, aka, Metagross and Garchomp. And also why, I didn't use any names, specifically until the page break.**

 **And I hope the battle scene was okay, as that was my first attempt at it. So, hopefully it read okay for you all.**

 **I'm intrigued, did anyone actually guess it wasn't Steven and Cynthia battling before it was revealed? Be honest. I'm most intrigued to know if anyone worked it out?**

 **FYI, Uncle Wallace is in rather big trouble again, and yes, Cynthia gave him a right earful. Sorry, I can't help it, Wallace is definitely one of the easiest characters to interject into stories.**

 **And yes, Cynthia is pregnant again. As the last line confirms. Sorry I couldn't help myself in adding that, the thought of them having children, is stuck in my brain at the moment.**

 **And I'm curious to hear your opinions, who would win out of their offspring? Jayden or Amethyst?**

 **Anyway, keep those requests coming.**

 **Oh yeah, just one last thing; no one messes with Garchomp!**

 **Until the next chapter everyone!**


	13. The Invitation

**Hello everyone! Welcome back!**

 **Sorry it took me so long, but work has taken up my precious downtime, so I haven't had that much time to write, but fear not, it's not going to stop me, it just means my updates aren't going to be as often.**

 **Anyway, back to this story, I decided to complete one of my earlier works. I'm still working on those other requests, so not to worry.**

 **This one only features Steven out of our couple.**

 **Guest appearance by Winona in this one, and I should mention that this story also features Graceful shipping, so WallaceXWinona. That's a big factor in the plot for this story. As you read it, you will get the idea I'm sure, but just because it is a big part of the plot line,** **it's still a dark steel story.**

 **No ties to any other stories.**

 **I'm rating it K+ as nothing in here can be considered higher a higher rating.**

 ** _Steven's thoughts are in italics._**

 **So, onwards dear readers...**

* * *

 _Seriously...how did this happen to him all the time?_

He throughly laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of Wallace. His childhood friend it seemed, always managed to find ways in which to embarrass him greatly, in any way he possibly could, regardless of whether he was actually around to do it himself or not.

This time, he had used his fiancée Winona to complete his mission.

* * *

 _Earlier…_

Steven had been just exiting the Mossdeep pokemart, when suddenly, as if out of thin air, the Fortree gym leader Winona had swooped in and cornered him like a wild pokemon. He couldn't be certain, but he was almost positive, that she must have been deliberately lying in wait for him.

After getting over the initial shock of her rather unexpected arrival, Winona had asked to speak with Steven in private, with regards to her upcoming nuptials. So, like the good friend he was, he had invited her over to his house.

Winona had actually become a good friend to him over the past few months; although, that might have probably had something to do with the fact; that she was marrying his closest friend; Wallace.

The couple had previously been in a relationship before, but unfortunately, due to certain issues, they had parted. However, earlier this year, the pair of them had settled those issues and decided to rekindle their romance, and give their relationship another chance, a decision it seemed, that proved to be undoubtedly, the correct one.

The couple were now happily engaged, and only one month away from their actual wedding day. They both seemed extremely happy, to the point of sickening in some circumstances, or so Phoebe had informed him, when she'd accidentally walked in on a moment between the pair on one occasion.

But suffices to say, Steven was generally pleased for his childhood friend. He'd always liked Winona, and he always knew, that they were perfect for each other. With Wallace's overly excitable and flamboyant personality, Winona's more level headedness and focussed attitude; seemed to balance them out perfectly. Steven chuckled to himself; _Winona, was exactly the sort of person that could keep Wallace in some of sort of line, which was always an added_ _bonus._

However, back to the problem at hand. With said wedding inching ever closer, it seemed recently, the both of them had taken it upon themselves to have an annoying tendency to pester him at every given opportunity. Whether it was by phoning him, messaging him; visiting him at his home or Ever Grande City, or by just generally stalking him. _I suppose this is one of the stipulations of being Wallace's best man,_ Steven thought. Of course he was honoured when he was asked to play a big part in his friend's special day, but seriously, he could so do without all this harassment.

* * *

 _Present time..._

So now, here they sat, Steven in one armchair and Winona sat across from him in another.

Steven briefly shifted his gaze to the clock over her right shoulder. It had been two hours...two hours of Winona, once again, running through the step-by-step schedule of her upcoming nuptials. He'd zoned out sometime after she had mentioned the buffet selection once again. He didn't want to seem rude, but after about the tenth time he'd heard it, from both her and Wallace, it was starting to get a bit tedious. Even though he was beyond thrilled for them, he kind of wished that they'd leave him in peace.

Another ten minutes had ticked by. Steven sighed; being the son of a businessman, patience was one of his strong suits, however, he couldn't endure this for much longer, he had to intervene now, or he was never going to get any peace and quiet. Besides, there was only so much wedding talk he could handle.

With that thought in mind, he cleared his throat loudly, inevitably stopping Winona mid-sentence.

"I do apologize for my rather abrupt interruption Winona, but I do have some urgent paperwork that requires my immediate attention. So I'm afraid I may have to bow out of this conversation." _Not strictly true, but she didn't know that._

Winona smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry Steven, I seemed to have gotten a bit carried away again, haven't I?" She turned and glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. "Wow! Would you look at the time? It seems I did get a bit carried away."

Steven gave a gentle smile.

"Not to worry," he reassured her. "It's actually quite understandable, especially, with the date edging ever closer." With that, he began to rise from his chair. "Now, I don't mean to sound rude, but I really must get on."

"Steven...wait!" Winona exclaimed quickly, abruptly stopping his movements. "There is actually a very good reason, as to why I was waiting to talk to you today."

 _So I was right, she was stalking me,_ Steven thought, as he returned to sitting once again.

Winona shifted in her seat.

"Well, the fact is...me and Wallace were discussing our guest list last night..." she trailed off, whilst staring into space and waving one of her hands around, in a scarily, similar fashion to Wallace.

Steven gave a little smirk; _they are picking up quite a few traits from each other it seems._ However, he was quickly brought out of his amused thoughts, by Winona continuing.

"And it came to our attention, that the vast majority of guests that are attending, will be bringing a plus one." It was after this statement, that Winona returned her hand to her lap, before returning her gaze, rather innocently towards him.

No matter how innocent she tried to make herself out to be, Steven wasn't convinced in the slightest. He'd seen that expression far too many times on the face of his childhood friend. He had a funny feeling, he knew exactly where this was going; and he knew he wasn't going to like it one bit. He began to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

But Winona pressed on, completely disregarding his rather uncomfortable appearance.

"So, we thought with you being the best man and all, that it would be considered highly appropriate, for you to also have a plus one." With that, Winona began to smirk in a rather coy way; a way that Steven had seen, far too many times to count on Wallace's face, right before the man embarrassed the hell out of him. _She's not going to go there surely?_

"So, you will be happy to know, that we came up with a grand solution."

 _Yep. She was definitely going there._

"Therefore, we have made a few adjustments to the guest list, and have now managed to squeeze in one more guest, especially for you."

Steven saw Winona give him a little wink. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks rather rapidly as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat again.

"So...what I actually came here for today, was to formally give you Cynthia's invitation."

At her bombshell, Steven could feel his cheeks burning in mortification. _Seriously, how did I lose control of this situation exactly?_

Regardless of his obvious embarrassment, Winona ploughed on ahead.

"Even though, I haven't personally met her myself, Wallace has dutifully informed me, that she is actually a really wonderful person, and that you and her, have rather similar personalities."

 _Of course he did,_ Steven thought dismally.

"Also, he has informed me, that recently, you two have gotten much...closer, so to say." Winona wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Steven couldn't help but groan in annoyance, before he buried his face into his hands in embarrassment.

"So, we decided, that it would be highly appropriate if she'd attend, as your plus one."

He couldn't help but groan again; it seemed, that Wallace had managed to do it again. _How in the world, did he manage to find out about my change in relationship status, and who it was with?_ Steven mentally cursed his childhood friend; that man was beyond sneaky, and was a complete menace to his sanity.

Although, Steven had to admit, he had actually been debating on whether to ask Cynthia to attend the wedding with him, in the first place. However, he had ultimately decided against it.

At present, he and Cynthia had only been together for two months, so they were still testing the waters, so to say, on the relationship front; so they didn't exactly want to publicly advertise the fact quite yet, that they were romantically together. It was because of this reason alone, that he had decided not to invite her. Besides, he was pretty sure that Cynthia would have agreed with his reasoning, because with a large event like this, if they had attended together, they would undoubtably have been subjected to a mass amount of questions, gossiping and teasing at their expense; especially, seeing as the event included Wallace, the master of all things with regards to teasing. Quite frankly, that was something they both could quite happily live without.

However, despite his best intentions, it looked like the decision was about to be taken completely out of his hands, as he was brought out of his musings by a polite cough. When he raised his head from his hands, he encountered the smug expression of the Fortree gym leader, holding an envelope in her hand. It seemed that, while he had been internally debating with himself, Winona had used the time to rummage through her shoulder bag, in search of said invitation.

"So Steven, without further ado, here is Cynthia's official invitation." With that, she leant forward slightly, as she held out the invitation for him to take. "I think it would be much more appropriate coming from you, I mean, you are going to be her escort for the evening after all."

Steven refrained the urge to utter something profound, at the expanding smirk spreading across Winona's face, as she waved the invitation around in front of him, like it was a prized ribbon of some kind. There was no doubt it, Winona had definitely picked up some of Wallace's mannerisms, but unfortunately, she had seemed to have picked up on some of his, more annoying traits, such as embarrassing the hell out of him at every given opportunity; _and now Cynthia by default it seems._

Unfortunately for him, it seemed that there was no escape either. _On that dismal thought;_ Steven sighed in defeat, before he held out his right hand, in order to take the invitation. He could see Winona smirk triumphantly at his surrender, as she placed the invitation into his hand, before she leant back into her chair with a smug sense of satisfaction.

Steven lowered his gaze to stare at the invitation she had placed into his hand; _how did this always happen to him? How did he always end up being on the receiving end of Wallace's teasing?_

It seemed that while his rather defeated gaze remained steadily locked onto the invitation, Winona had glanced once again at the clock behind her.

"Well, would you look at the time! I think I best be making a move," Winona exclaimed, as she rose from her chair. "I know Wallace mentioned something earlier about reservations, so I better get back." And with that, she began making her way towards his front door. "Thanks again for your time Steven."

But Steven didn't even glance up once at her departure and he wouldn't have, if it weren't for her sudden exclamation.

"Oh, by the way."

When he finally did raise his gaze, the gym leader gave him another little smirk.

"When you do give the invitation to her, please inform her, that we will expect her to be in attendance, and we won't be taking no for an answer." She gave him a small wave, turned, and then began strolling out of his house. "You know what? I think it's going to be one fabulous evening!" And with that parting comment, Winona finally departed his house, closing the door behind her.

Steven remained glued to his seat, staring mournfully at the doorway that she'd just exited through, still tightly holding onto the invitation; that had now begun to crumple in his grip.

Once again, it seemed that he'd been subjected to Wallace's, rather sadistic sense of humour; and what made it a hundred times worse this time, was the fact that he hadn't been around to do it himself. No doubt, Winona would go back and inform him of the events here. He could already envisage Wallace's mirth now. Steven groaned at the thought; _I would have thought Winona would have been above using these antics._ But then again, she was marrying Wallace; he was the master, on thinking up ways in which to embarrass and torture him. _Knowing Wallace, he probably even had a step-by-step manual written up._ Steven couldn't help but groan again.

With both Wallace and Winona, now working as a coherent unit, it seemed he was in for a lot more of this teasing in the future, and unfortunately, Cynthia as well by extension. _When I said I was happy for them? I take it back,_ Steven thought, before giving a deep sigh.

 _Oh yes, one fabulous evening all right, one that Cynthia and I, will never live down._ _Oh hell._

* * *

 **And there we are, I hope you enjoyed the story.**

 **I said it once, I'll say it again, Wallace's character is one of the easiest to envisage. I know that Winona is a more sterner character, especially in the manga arc, but I think she would pick up some of Wallace's traits if she was with him. I mean, I can't see Wallace not convincing her, to take part in aiding in teasing poor Steven.**

 **Anyway, still keep those requests coming, I am working through them, but with work now interfering with my free time, I don't think I will be uploading as often as I was. But fear not, that won't stop me from writing!**

 **Well, until next time!**


	14. Party Time

**Hello everyone! Welcome back!**

 **Apologies that it has taken me so long to upload, but I've been stuck working.** **But fear not, I'm back with another story at long last.**

 **So, with regards to this story, there was a request to have a one that features a lot of characters form the pokemon universe. So, on that note, I decided to make this a reality, and what better way, than to have everyone at a party?**

 **So, I don't think I could say much more, as the story is pretty self explanatory. But I will say, there are some other couples mentioned in this story as well as our star couple, but they are more side little scenes, as you will see.**

 **I would like to point out, that the story is told from Cynthia's point of view, and the story flips between the present and flashbacks, as it's Cynthia's memories. So, each page break indicates these. But I have indicated the flashbacks, so it should be easy to follow.**

 **And it is actually the longest story I've written too.**

 **So, with regards to the rating for this story, I am definitely rating it a T. This is because there is adult material in this story, but nothing too graphic, it's more implied than anything. Also, there is some bad language in here as well. So, I have warned you all.**

 **No ties to any other stories.**

 _ **Cynthia's thoughts are in italics.**_

 **Onwards dear readers, I will see you at the end...**

* * *

 _Uhh…what the…god…my head is splitting._ Cynthia tried to turn her head, but the pain that shot through it at the movement, made it slightly impossible. _Uhh…won't be doing that again anytime soon. At least my head is resting on something soft. Uhh…did I actually drink that much? In fact, what the hell did I do last night?_

* * *

 _Yesterday evening…_

So here it was, the most prestigious event of the pokemon calendar, the annual, 'Pokemon League Christmas Party,' which was being held this year, in the joint regions of Kanto and Johto's league landmass.

Cynthia sighed as she entered the Indigo Plateau. The interior had been decked out in the finest splendour, from the ridiculous amount of fairy lights that decorated the ceilings and walls, right down to the fancy Christmas tinsel that decorated the vast number of tables throughout the grand hall.

"Well, ziz iz very festivev," Fantina cooed, as she twirled around in order to get a full view of the hall.

 _A little too festive,_ Cynthia thought, before she mentally slapped herself; this attitude wasn't going to help her situation in the slightest. She sighed again. It wasn't that she didn't want to be there…it was the fact that she really, didn't want to be there. However, as much as she would have loved to have skipped the entire event altogether, unfortunately, as she was the Champion of Sinnoh, it was highly expected of her to make an appearance.

She'd never been one for parties or huge social gatherings anyway, but this annual event always seemed to be the worst, as this was the only occasion in the year, where every region's high elite trainers gathered together in one place. Normally, this wouldn't seem especially bad in theory, but unfortunately, this occasion was the only excuse every trainer could use, in order to, 'let his or her hair down,' so to say, which meant that standard decorum, usually went sailing out of the window. She mentally groaned.

"Ah, who cares about that?" Flint exclaimed. "This is the one-day of the year, where I can get drunk and don't have to give a damn! Wohoo! C'mon Volkner, the bar's calling our name!" With that, he patted his friend on the back and then made a beeline for the bar. Volkner nodded his head, before strolling after him, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Those guys, are serious embarrassments to our region," Candice stated, while shaking her head, as she watched the two strutting over to the bar.

"Well, well, well. I thought I heard the Sinnoh crowd arrive," a loud voice exclaimed from behind them, before another quickly followed it.

"Well, you can't exactly not hear them; they create more noise than a stampeding herd of Tauros."

As Cynthia turned around, the sight of the joint Kanto and Johto Champion, and his rather annoying cousin greeted her.

"Lance, good to see you," Cynthia replied, before glancing at his cousin. "And Clair, a pleasure as always."

Clair huffed, as Lance gave a slightly amused smirk at the sarcasm laced in her tone.

"I'm glad that you all made it this evening, and please, do enjoy yourselves. Although, I'm sure you all will," Lance stated, before glancing over her shoulder. "Ah, and if you will excuse me, I see some of our other guests arriving." With that, he nodded slightly, before striding past her and her colleagues, with Clair in tow, the latter snubbing them completely.

"That young woman, seriously needs to remove her head from her posterior," Bertha muttered, as she made her way over to sit at one of the tables.

Cynthia couldn't help but burst into laughter as she followed after the elder; _I couldn't have said that any better myself._

* * *

 _Ah yes…that's right, I arrived at the party with the rest of the Sinnoh trainers…then we were greeted by Lance, and that bitch of a cousin of his._ Cynthia gave a small smile. _Then…_

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"Well, isn't this just fab..u..lous!" A rather flamboyant and high-pitched voice exclaimed, as it reverberated around the large room.

Cynthia inwardly chuckled to herself; she didn't even need to turn around in her seat, to guess what region had just arrived.

"Wallace for Arceus' sake, do you have to make such an embarrassing entry?" She heard a rather agitated female voice, she recognized as Roxanne wail.

"Winona, I thought you had got him to tone down this attitude?" That sounded like Brawley. Usually, the young man didn't speak very much, but when he did, it was usually something blunt.

"I've tried, believe me."

Cynthia snorted, when she heard the defeated tone of the Fortree gym leader. For the life of her, she couldn't comprehend what Winona saw in that man; as their attitudes and personalities were complete polar opposites. _I guess that's one mystery that will never be solved._

"Well you're married to the guy! It's no good if you can't control him!"

Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle at Roxanne's retort.

* * *

 _Ah yes, the Hoenn crowd finally arrived, fashionably late as usual._ Cynthia could feel a slight movement underneath her, but ignored it, as she continued to remember the night's events in her mind.

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Cynthia glanced over to where the Hoenn crowd had now congregated, just inside the entrance to the main hall. She smiled slightly, when she saw Lance making his way over to them.

"Trust the Hoenn crowd to be late," he exclaimed with slight amusement.

"Well, have you ever heard of the phrase; fashionably late?" Wallace exclaimed, as he waved his hand around, in a rather flamboyant manner. "Besides, we would have been here on time, if it weren't for Flannery and Phoebe."

"Hey!"

"Well forgive us for not being as punctual as you," Phoebe exclaimed, as she folded her arms in agitation. "Unlike you, we haven't been dressed all day for this, some of us had actual work to do."

"Now, now, children, we are not here to argue," Glacia stated calmly, undeniably cutting off any further remarks that were about to be made.

"I think I need a drink," Flannery huffed, as she turned and headed for the bar.

"I think I'll join you," Phoebe replied, before hastily catching up to the fire trainer.

"Man, this place is quite something. Really snazzy," Sidney commented, as he raised both of his hands behind his head, as his gaze meandered around the room.

"Indeed it is, quite so."

Cynthia's ears perked up and her eyes widened, as her gaze locked onto the blue eyed, steel haired man, who had just stepped out from behind Norman.

"Ah, Mr Stone, so glad you could make it," Lance greeted him with a handshake. "Even though you've recently stepped down as Champion, I'm glad you decided to come."

"It's nice to see you once again too, Lance, and thank you for extending the invitation to me," Steven replied sincerely, as he removed his hand from Lance's.

Unbeknownst to Steven, Cynthia couldn't help but stare at him; _I didn't think he would have attended tonight, especially, with him voluntarily handing over his Champion title to Wallace, a mere month ago._ She sighed, she couldn't deny; that she was actually a tad bit upset about his recent resignation, but then again, he did have his reasons, and Cynthia couldn't begrudge him from wanting to pursue other interests.

However, that didn't stop her from being morose about it, as for starters, she wasn't overly thrilled about the fact; that Wallace had taken over from him; _that man; was beyond annoying._ She knew that Steven considered him a close friend, but still. Cynthia inwardly groaned, C _hampions' meetings with him in attendance; are going to be hell._

Although, if she was being totally honest with herself, the main reason why she felt so gloomy about his resignation, may have had something to do with the rather strong feelings that she held for him. She blushed slightly at the thought.

She couldn't deny; that she had been attracted to him from the day they first met, (as he was quite a handsome man after all,) but that attraction; had steadily grown as they got to know each other better, even more so, when she'd discovered that they shared rather common interests. Not to mention, that she'd become rather enamoured, with his rather charming personality.

They'd become undeniably close over the last few months, and it came as no surprise to her, when she had realized, that she had fallen for him. Of course he didn't know that though, as she hadn't been entirely revealing of it, mainly out of fear, that he wouldn't reciprocate her feelings. Although, there was a tiny part of her that believed that he might feel the same, but it was difficult to tell with a guy like Steven.

Cynthia sighed deeply as she continued to observe him, while he was talking to Lance. She had to admit, he was looking rather sharp, dressed in his tuxedo. It was actually a pleasant change to see him dressed in something other than his usual classy business suit. She couldn't help but take in a deep breath at the thought, even though the man was always wearing suits on a daily basis, there was just something about him wearing a tuxedo; that made him even more attractive than usual.

She released the breath she'd been holding; as she turned back around in her seat, before helping herself to a glass of wine out of the bottle that had been placed on the table.

"Are you okay child?" Bertha asked, as she had obviously noticed her rather subdued expression.

Cynthia glanced at the elder, before giving a little nod.

"I'm fine," she replied, before taking a sip of the wine she had just poured for herself. Even though she still felt slightly morose, she couldn't help but be grateful for the fact that Steven had attended tonight, _at least I'll have a chance to speak to him again._

"Well, good evening Cynthia. You're looking rather wonderful this evening."

* * *

Cynthia sighed; _that's right, I discovered that Steven had decided to attend._ Then she mentally cringed; _but then he arrived…uhhh…_

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Cynthia's body stiffened, as she heard the voice that approached from behind her; _oh hell, when did he get here?_

"And Bertha, nice to see you again."

Cynthia couldn't help but cringe, as the owner of said voice, was now stood directly behind her chair. She refused to turn around to acknowledge him; _maybe he'll take the hint._

However, Bertha raised her gaze to their visitor.

"Well good evening to you too, Alder. I hope you are well this evening," Bertha replied to his greeting, before lowering her gaze back to the Sinnoh Champion.

Cynthia caught the little smirk that passed across the elder's face. _I know that smirk all too well. She wouldn't dare, surely?_

"Well, if you would both excuse me, I think I need to use the restroom."

With that, the elder rose from her chair, (still sporting her smirk,) before hastily heading away from the table; completely ignoring the death glare that Cynthia was sending her. _Oh god no! Bertha you traitor! For Arceus' sake, please do not leave me with…_

"So Cynthia, how have you been?" And with that question, Alder took Bertha's vacated seat and moved it slightly closer to her.

 _Damn it! She was going to kill Bertha later._

* * *

 _Ah! That's right; Bertha abandoned me and left me to face Alder alone._ Cynthia mentally groaned; _note to self; I have to remember to get some sort of revenge on Bertha for that little stunt._ Her head throbbed slightly. _Maybe when I'm not so hung over though._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Now that Alder had planted himself next to her, Cynthia felt she had no choice but to acknowledge the man.

"Hello Alder," Cynthia greeted the man; plastering a fake smile on her face as she did. "I've been well, thank you for asking. I take it you are well?" As much as she would've loved to tell the guy to get lost, she did have some tact.

"Yes indeed, I'm quite well," he replied, as he leaned in closer towards her. "Even more so, now that I've found you this evening."

Cynthia took a side-glance at him from beneath her fringe, and mentally cringed at the expression on his face, it was enough to make her skin crawl.

She downed the contents of her glass quickly, before reaching for the wine bottle, in order to refill her glass again. There was nothing else for it, if she had to endure Alder's rather lecherous company, she needed to drink...and drink some more. She inwardly sighed, _where was a miracle when you needed one?_

* * *

Cynthia's head began to throb at the mere memory of alcohol, but it was nothing, compared to the unpleasant memory of the Unova champion. _Uh…that's right, Alder began pursuing me again. That man was like an annoying itch, no matter how many times you tried to get rid of it, it just kept coming back._

She felt a little shudder pass through her, before something tightened around her waist, but she was still too caught up in her memories to notice.

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Cynthia couldn't believe it; she could so do without this.

 _If he moves any closer, he'll be sat in my lap._ She shuddered, before trying to subtly, shuffle to the opposite end of her seat. _Seriously, has this guy never heard of boundaries or personal space?_ _The man had no sense of decorum, whatsoever._ She sighed, it was times like these; that she wished she had Garchomp to hand. She was positive that the land shark pokemon, would have had great pleasure in dealing with Alder; but unfortunately for her, pokemon weren't allowed in on these parties. _Damn it all to hell!_

"So, I was thinking Cynthia," Alder drawled, as he rested his right elbow on the table, before once again leaning forward into her personal space. "We really should do something about this attraction between us. In fact, maybe we should spend some time together after this party; or we could even, slip away early, if you'd like."

Cynthia glanced at Alder again, who was now giving her a rather leery and expectant look. She had to physically restrain herself from cringing outwardly at his suggestion; _not a chance in hell! Not if you were the last man on the planet!_ As much as she would have loved to have said that out loud, unfortunately, she was brought up to be respectful to others, regardless of their intentions. _Damn it all to hell, again! Curse my good manners._

Cynthia took another sip of wine, before clearing her throat and turning to face the rather irritating man.

"Actually Alder…"

"Well good evening both, I hope I'm not intruding."

Cynthia straightened in her chair, at the melodious voice that reverberated from behind her. A small smile broke out on her lips; _it was about damn time!_ _And thank you Arceus, I owe you one!_

* * *

Cynthia felt that smile stretch across her lips again; _that's right; my miracle did happen; and it came in the form a tall, handsome, blue-eyed young man._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"Steven! What a surprise it is to see you here this evening," Alder exclaimed, clearly surprised by the ex-Champion's sudden appearance; as he now stood between their seats, with a pleasant smile. "I didn't actually expect you to attend this evening, what with you handing over your title to Wallace a short while ago."

Cynthia had to give Steven credit; the man didn't even flinch, or show any signs of annoyance at Alder's rather blunt and accusing statements. He still stood there with a pleasant smile, as he regarded the both of them.

"Well actually, Lance extended an invitation for me to attend, even though I'm no longer Champion, as you have so rightly pointed out," Steven calmly replied. "In fact, Lance said that if I came, it would be a great way to sign off as Champion." Steven's gaze locked onto hers. "And I happened to agree with him."

Cynthia could feel her heartbeat quicken, as her gaze locked onto his. She could feel herself drowning into those dazzling blue orbs. Steven's smile grew. All traces of reality seemed to fly out of the window, as they both continued to gaze at each other.

However, their wonderful moment was broken by a rather irritating cough; that came from the man sat next to her. _Oh yeah, I forgot about him._

"Well, I'm actually quite surprised about that Steven, I mean, don't you usually hate big events like this?" Alder asked, quite directly.

Cynthia could clearly hear the unsubtle, 'back off' connotation, clearly in Alder's voice. She took another drink, to avoid groaning out loud; _it was him that she wanted to back off, not Steven._ She glanced back to Steven to see his reaction, but the man still calmly stood there, seemingly unperturbed by Alder's rather rude remarks.

"Well, I suppose you do have a point Alder, I do normally prefer avoiding events like this; but tonight, I thought I would make an effort, just this once," Steven calmly replied, before scratching the back of his neck. "Although, I will admit, that there is an ulterior motive as to why I attended this evening."

Upon hearing that, Cynthia whipped her head back around, sporting a rather curious expression; _ulterior motive?_ However, Steven's expression gave nothing away, as he glanced back down towards her. The heat that radiated through his eyes as he caught her gaze again made Cynthia flush slightly.

She quickly lowered her gaze, before hastily taking another drink in order to calm her racing heart. She didn't dare look back up, for fear that she wouldn't be able to control herself any longer; _self-control had its limits after all._

"Well, I hope you achieve whatever it is that has made you attend this evening, Steven," Alder replied, rather snidely. "And please, don't let us detain you any longer."

Cynthia's eyes widened at Alder's statement. _It seemed that he was answering for the both of them; w_ _hat the hell!_ She narrowed her eyes, as she shot the man a sharp glare.

"Well thank you Alder," Steven replied smoothly. "And believe me when I say, I have every intention of achieving what I came here to do." The corner of his lips curled up into a smile. "And on that note, I think I will now take my leave of you. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your evening."

Cynthia's eyes widened, as she whipped her head around again towards the ex-Champion. _He was leaving her with Alder? Why would he do that? I thought we were close?_ Steven glanced at her briefly. P _lease get me out of here! Don't leave me here with him!_ She wasn't above pleading, even inside her own mind. She didn't think Steven was telepathic, but it was worth a shot.

To her immense relief though, it seemed that he had picked up on her signals, loud and clear.

"However, I do need to whisk Cynthia away from you, as her assistance is greatly required in aiding in my venture. I hope you don't mind?" But Steven didn't even wait for Alder's reply, as he held out his right hand for her to take.

Cynthia saw Steven tilt his head slightly; he was offering her an escape, and there was no way in hell that she wasn't going to take it. She raised her hand and placed it into his. His fingers intertwined with hers, as he tugged her out of her seat.

"If you will excuse us Alder," he said, before turning around and leading her away from the table by their joint hands.

As Steven led her away from the table, Cynthia couldn't help but glance momentarily back to where Alder still sat. As she did, she had to seriously resist the urge to burst into spontaneous laughter, at the rather for-longed expression he bore. She should have felt some sort of guilt about leaving rather abruptly, but she didn't, not in the slightest. _The man had to learn his lesson sometime._

With that in mind, she returned her gaze forward again, to focus on the man that was currently leading her somewhere. She cleared her throat in order to try and grab his attention.

"By the way; thanks for the save," Cynthia exclaimed, with a bright smile.

Steven stopped at her remark, before turning his head to regard her.

"You're welcome," he replied with a gentle smile and a wink.

Cynthia felt her face heat up, as he returned his attention forward again and resumed walking, dragging her along behind him. She had no idea as to where he was taking her, but as of this moment, she didn't care in the slightest. _My miracle._

* * *

Cynthia sighed contently; _that had been quite a miracle!_

* * *

 _Flashback…_

After making a quick pit stop at the bar, he ended up leading her, to sit with him at one of the smaller tables in the back of the room, in a part of the hall that was more secluded. Although, from their vantage point, they could actually see the whole of the main hall, including the bar, where they were currently witnessing a rather drunk Flint, flirting shamelessly with a rather tipsy Flannery. Cynthia cringed, _oh that wasn't going to end well at all._

"Well that's going to end up in flames, literally," Steven commented, as he too, observed the rather shameless display.

She couldn't help but chuckle at that.

He gave a warm smile at the sound of her laughter.

"By the way," Steven stated, before raising his glass to take a drink. "I noticed that you were watching me earlier, when I was speaking to Lance."

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly, as a faint blush began to appear over her cheeks. _How the hell did he notice that? He'd been too engrossed in conversation with Lance!_

Steven gave a chuckle at her rather shocked expression.

* * *

 _Ah yes, that's right, Steven had caught me staring at him._ Cynthia's brow furrowed slightly; _b_ _ut I still cannot for the life of me figure out how he noticed. I swear blind that he hadn't removed his eyes once from Lance, when he was talking to him._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"Alright, go ahead and laugh," Cynthia replied, shooting him a glare, while folding her arms in slight annoyance. "If you really must know, I was slightly in awe of the fact that you're actually here, what with you stepping down as Champion and all."

Steven smirked slightly at her annoyed expression.

"Yes, I thought as much," he smoothly replied, before taking another drink.

Cynthia shot another glare in his direction, but it proved to be highly un-effective it seemed, as he continued to sit there with a rather smug expression; which to her, made him look extremely attractive. She had to quickly avert her gaze, in order to stop him from seeing her steadily growing blush. _Curse his charming personality and handsome features._ She should be mad at him, but she never seemed to have a backbone when it came to him.

She took a deep breath, in order to try and calm her racing heart.

"Well, you're here now," she replied, as she lifted her gaze towards him again. "Let's just say, that I'm happy to see you, and that I'm glad you attended this evening, and leave it at that, shall we?"

His smirk had now settled into a warm smile.

"Well, I'm happy to see you too. I'm glad I made the decision to attend," he gently replied, before taking another drink. "Although, I bet you are curious as to why I attended? Am I right?"

Cynthia shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I just assumed that as you have now resigned, with this being your last chance to attend one of these parties…" but she trailed off when she saw Steven shake his head in disagreement.

"Believe me, it has nothing to do with that," he replied, as his gaze locked onto hers. "Like I mentioned to you in front of Alder earlier, there's only really one reason why I came here this evening, and that is to pursue, a very strong interest of mine. Everything else, I couldn't care less about."

Cynthia was captivated by the warmth radiating from within his beautiful eyes. She couldn't have looked away even if she'd tried. Steven leaned forward slightly, as his left hand came up to rest against her right cheek. Her heart began to beat faster again. _Oh god…he's going to…I hope he's going to…?_

Steven tilted his head slightly and leaned in a little more.

"You see; the only reason I came here tonight was to…"

"There you are!"

Both Steven and Cynthia immediately jolted apart at the rather loud shout. They both turned in the direction of said shout, only to witness a rather irate Gardenia, storm past their table and head towards the table next to them, before slamming her hand down on said table.

Suddenly, there was a rather loud bang, as a person shot up from the chairs behind said table; chairs that the person had been sleeping on, it seemed. Both of their eyebrows rose, as they glanced at each other; they hadn't even noticed someone had been there.

"Oh...hi darling, where've you been?" Roark answered, with a slight slur in his voice.

"Where have I been? The question is more, where the hell have you been?"

Cynthia could practically see the steam coming out from Gardenia's ears.

"Oh…well, I've been here," Roark slurred, before giving her a rather dopey smile. "Huh…I must have fallen asleep. Whoops."

"Whoops? That's all you have to say? Whoops?"

Roark shrugged his shoulders, before giving her another rather dopey smile. Unfortunately, that didn't help his situation at all.

Gardenia threw her hands up in agitation.

"That's it! I've had it with you this evening. If you want to fall asleep, you can go and share a room with your father tonight!" And with that parting shot, Gardenia turned and stormed off back towards the centre of the room.

"Oh…c'mon dear, don't be like that," Roark slurred again, before trying to extract himself from the table. However, in his haste, he had ended up tripping over one of the chair legs; therefore, causing him to crash face first to the floor.

Cynthia cringed at that, _ouch!_

However, the Oreburgh gym leader immediately stumbled back to his feet, before once again, making an effort to chase after his wife. Luckily for Roark, it seemed that his intoxication had saved him from feeling any pain from the impact, _but he's definitely going to feel that in the morning though,_ Cynthia thought to herself.

She returned her gaze towards Steven; who was still sat there, rather perplexed at what he'd just witnessed.

"Wow," he uttered.

She couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

 _That's right; Gardenia had lost it with her rather inebriated husband._ Cynthia furrowed her brow, _I wonder if Gardenia forgave him, or did Roark end up sharing a room with Byron?_

But then a feeling of anger shot through her, as she remembered that that little domestic incident; had interrupted a rather pivotal moment between her and Steven. And just like that, her sympathy for the married couple instantly disappeared. _Curse that married couple for ruining the moment._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"Yes indeed, that was quite something," Cynthia replied; after controlling her mirth, before taking a mouthful of wine.

"Are they always like that?" Steven enquired, as his bewildered gaze returned to hers.

Cynthia gave another little chuckle.

"Surprisingly, yes."

She could recall numerous occasions, when she had witnessed their little tiffs back in Sinnoh. But, no matter how much they argued; they were still very much devoted to each other. In fact, she remembered Byron mentioning once, that their relationship, reminded him of his own marriage to his late wife. (Roark's mother.) So she supposed, Roark was used to this kind of thing.

"Huh," Steven replied, with a little chuckle of his own, before reaching for his glass.

Cynthia couldn't help but stare at him; as her mind trailed back to what had almost happened between them, before they were so rudely interrupted. _What would have happened? It seemed almost like..._

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

* * *

 _Oh damn, he'd caught me staring at him again…uh…how embarrassing._ Cynthia's face began to heat up again, just thinking about it. _Could I have been anymore obvious?_

There was a slight movement underneath her head again, but she just readjusted her head slightly to the movement, before trying desperately to remember what happened next.

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Cynthia could feel the blush rising steadily into her cheeks; she'd been caught staring at him, again. _Damn it, I need to get a grip…preferably of him._ She mentally groaned; _that didn't help at all._

He was gazing at her with a raised eyebrow, awaiting her response. She took another drink, before finally answering his questioning gaze.

"It's nothing. Everything is fine."

She could see him tilt his head slightly.

"Oh, really?"

She nodded her head in affirmation. However, he wasn't convinced.

"If that was true, then why are you blushing?"

She should have guessed that he wouldn't accept her dismissive answer that easily.

"What makes you think I'm blushing because of you?" she replied, with as much confidence as she could, under the current circumstances. "I could be flushed because I'm slightly warm." She could see that damn smirk appear over his lips again. _Damn it! There should be a law out there; that states that no man; should be able to look that good, when teasing someone; it was highly unfair._

"Hmm…is that so?" he asked, with a rather sexy drawl. "So, it has nothing to do with what I was going to tell you, before we were rudely interrupted?"

Cynthia flushed deeper at that. _Curse that charming personality of his._ The man knew how to push her buttons without even trying; _it was so unfair!_

She turned her head away from him, in order to save some of her dignity.

"You know, you can be really annoying sometimes." She could here him give another little chuckle, as she huffed to herself; _the man was beyond infuriating sometimes._

"Hmm…is that so," he smoothly replied, before sliding closer to her and cupping her cheek in his hand, like he'd done before they'd been interrupted; and turned her face back towards his. "Even if that maybe the case, would you still like me to tell you why I came here tonight?"

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly, at the rather close proximity they now found themselves in. She could clearly see the desire burning brightly within his eyes, and she was lost.

"Cynthia…" he whispered gently, before he tilted his head and began slowly closing the gap between their lips and closing his eyes.

As the distance between them slowly decreased, she closed her eyes in anticipation. _This was it; this was the moment I've been secretly longing for._ She could feel his breath on her lips, and then…

"Go on Bruno, you got this!"

"Not a chance! Come on Wake, take him down!"

"Bury him Bruno!"

"No way! Wake my man, I've got $50 riding on this, you better win!"

* * *

 _Damn it all to hell! We were so close!_ She sighed disappointingly. _They'd been so close._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"What the blazes?" Steven exclaimed, as he pulled back from Cynthia rather quickly, and whirled in the direction of where the mass amount of shouting seemed to be originating.

Cynthia sighed disappointedly; _damn it, they'd been so close._ She was slowly beginning to think that she was cursed in some way. She sighed again. _Nobody knows how long I've waited for this!_

Since their rather romantic moment had been rudely interrupted once again, Cynthia was now curious to know what had caused the shouting. So, her gaze followed Steven's, and that was when she caught sight of a large crowd of male trainers, huddled around one of the tables, in the far left hand side of the room. A table; that she assumed had Crasher Wake and Bruno sitting in the middle of it; if the shouts were anything to go by.

As luck would have it, the Olivine gym leader was just about to pass by their table. It seemed Steven had caught sight of this as well, as he cleared his throat in order to grab her attention.

"Jasmine, what's going on over there?" he asked, while nodding his head in the direction of the crowd.

"Oh, hello Steven, Cynthia," Jasmine greeted the pair, as she came to a stop before them, before glancing in the direction that Steven was indicating to. "Oh that…" Jasmine stated, before returning her gaze to the pair. "They are watching Bruno take on Crasher Wake in an arm wrestling competition."

"Seriously?" Steven asked, in amusement.

Jasmine nodded her head in agreement. Cynthia couldn't help but shake her head in bewilderment. _Their perfect moment had been interrupted by an arm wrestling competition?_ She mentally groaned. _I think I am cursed!_

"Apparently, there is quite a bit of money at stake on it, from what I heard," Jasmine responded, before giving a sigh. "Personally, I don't see what the big fuss is about. I mean, who cares about who is physically stronger than who? I really don't see the appeal in it; in fact, it's actually quite annoying. I think it's just the male species trying to show off." And with that tirade, Jasmine strolled off towards the bar.

Cynthia couldn't help but snort at that; _the woman did have a valid point._ She'd witnessed it herself plenty of times in the past, and to be honest, it was something that didn't appeal to her either.

"Well, that's a new one," she could hear Steven exclaim, even though his gaze was still locked onto the scene on the other side of the room.

Cynthia snorted again.

"Well, I can't say I'm overly surprised to be honest. Having a large gathering, with a load of muscle men in attendance? This sort of thing was bound to happen at one point or another," Cynthia stated sarcastically.

Steven's gaze returned to meet hers, before a little smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I suppose," he stated, before he raised his right eyebrow at her. "So Cynthia, who would you bet on to win that competition?"

Her eyes widened slightly; _what sort of question was that? Didn't the sarcastic tone; sort of imply that she wasn't interested?_ Cynthia observed Steven's features, judging by the look he was giving her, it seemed that he was rather intrigued to hear her answer. _Obviously not,_ she concluded.

She cleared her throat.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I have to agree with Jasmine on this one. Overly muscled guys, challenging each other in petty competitions and trying to show off, just don't appeal to me in the slightest."

Steven tilted his head slightly in thought.

"How interesting," he replied with intrigue, before the little smile he'd been giving her morphed into a smirk. "So, tell me Cynthia, what type of man do you like then?"

Cynthia's face instantly heated up again. He'd backed her into a corner. _The sly son of a…_

* * *

She felt that blush rise to her cheeks again. She could vividly remember the look he'd been giving her, as if he was still in front of her now. She gave a little shiver, _that man was infuriating, but hell…even when he was teasing her, could he be anymore enticing?_

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"Well Cynthia?" He asked again, when she had failed to answer his question. He was still sat there, gazing at her with a rather expectant look on his face, and still sporting that damn smirk.

Cynthia inwardly groaned. _You arrogant…conceited…infuriating…smug…sexy…son of a..._ However, she point blank refused to let him get away with teasing her this way, even if he was extremely attractive while doing it.

She narrowed her eyes as she shot him a glare.

"Do you know that you are so infuriating sometimes?" she stated, before she shook her head slightly. "No, I take that back, you're beyond infuriating."

But her rather irate expression went completely ignored, as Steven gave a little chuckle.

"What?" he replied, as he tilted his head at the glare she was still giving him. "It's just a simple question, one that you have still not answered yet, by the way."

She made a mental note to punish him somehow; _but then again, he may enjoy that_ ; _I know I damn well would. S_ he mentally groaned; _this didn't help her situation at all._

To avoid any further embarrassment, Cynthia averted her gaze away from him and reached for her drink. She decided that, if she pretended to be annoyed with him, maybe he would let the subject drop. She mentally sighed, it wasn't that she didn't want to answer him; it was more that, she was uncertain on how to respond to him.

"You love it really," she heard him reply, rather cheekily; but she still refused to turn to look at him.

She mentally sighed again. Even though they had almost kissed twice already, she was still hesitant. She wanted to tell him, that he was the man she wanted, but she was still afraid that this was all just a heat of the moment kind of thing for him. She couldn't help but sigh again.

However, her sigh couldn't have been internal this time, because she could hear Steven shuffle closer to her.

"Cynthia," she heard him ask, as she felt his hand on her right cheek.

She could hear the concern in his voice, and it was for that reason; that she finally returned her gaze to him.

"Hey, are you alright?" he softly asked.

She'd been correct in her assumptions, as she observed the worry radiating from his beautiful eyes.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to take it too far."

At his rather sincere apology, Cynthia couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. He was obviously concerned that he had offended her, and that she was angry with him. She inwardly cursed herself; it wasn't his fault that she was slightly insecure in her own feelings. _Well, I'll just have to correct this little situation._

"It's fine Steven, you've done nothing wrong," she softly replied; giving him a small smile in reassurance.

He seemed to visibly breathe a sigh of relief at her response.

"I'm glad about that," he replied softly, as she saw the worry slowly dissipate from his eyes, only to be replaced with something warmer. "I mean; you're the last person I would ever want to upset in any way, as you are really important to me."

As much as she wanted to answer him, Cynthia was finding it extremely difficult to do so at the moment, as she lost herself in his warm gaze. She felt that she was drowning in an endless sea of blue.

Meanwhile, his other hand began to brush the hair away from her face, before eventually cupping her other cheek.

"I mean, I would never forgive myself if I hurt you in any way, because this would mean that my attendance here this evening, would have all been for nothing otherwise."

Cynthia's eyes instantly widened, as she registered what he had just said.

"You must have figured it out by now, that you're the only reason why I came here tonight." A slow smile spread across his lips. "I came here, for you, because I wanted to finally show you, how much you mean to me."

With that confession, Steven tilted his head and began slowly closing the gap between their lips once again, using his hands that remained on her cheeks, as leverage.

Cynthia's heart thumped widely inside her chest. She finally knew how he felt about her. She sighed happily, as she closed her eyes in anticipation of his long awaited kiss; _this was it! This is the moment that I've been waiting for._

Just as their lips brushed, they heard a rather sharp yelp, followed by a heavy thud, from the direction of the bar area. They both jolted apart once again; before turning in the direction of the noise; where they encountered a very irate Flannery, pointing down towards Flint, who was curled into a sort of foetal position on the floor below her.

"And it serves you right!" they heard Flannery exclaim. "You're lucky I only used my knee!" And with that, the fiery gym leader turned and stormed off.

"Oh…crap, right...in the...nuts," Flint managed to stutter out between clenched teeth, as he obviously tried to control the pain he was in.

Cynthia's eyes widened. Based on the way Flint was positioned and the pain he was in, it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out what had just happened. It was safe to say, that Flint had obviously said or done something to anger the Hoenn fire trainer; and she had retaliated, by kneeing him in the crotch. _I knew their flirting wouldn't end well._

She glanced at Steven. When she took sight of his expression, she couldn't stop the amused smile that spread across her lips; as she witnessed the way he seemed to be physically cringing at the sight of Flint withering in agony. She couldn't blame him for it mind, as his reaction tended to be a common, unconscious response amongst all men, when any damage to that particular part of their bodies was witnessed.

She gave a little chuckle.

"Well, I can safely say Steven, you were indeed correct when you said that that, wouldn't end well."

Steven returned his gaze to hers.

"I was, wasn't I?" he replied, as he gave into his own amusement at the situation.

Cynthia couldn't help but join in. Even though she should have been annoyed that that little scene had ruined, yet another moment between her and Steven, however, surprisingly, she found that she wasn't even remotely bothered by the interruption; _but that could probably be due to the fact, that I finally know, my feelings for him are mutual._

When their mirth had finally subsided, Steven gave her a rather cheeky grin.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

Cynthia gave a cheeky grin of her own.

"Only if you don't continue with what you started, before we were so rudely interrupted," she replied, with a raise of her eyebrow. It seemed that his confession mere moments ago, had finally given her the courage she needed, in order to express the enormous amount of affection that she held for him.

That sexy smirk spread across his lips once again.

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" he replied suavely, as he grabbed both of her cheeks in his hands again, before leaning in to place his eager mouth over hers.

* * *

Cynthia sighed happily; _well…it was about damn time!_

 _S_ he nuzzled her face further into her pillow sporting a rather blissful expression. It seemed that she had finally gotten her wish. _Last night wasn't a complete bust after all._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Cynthia had been stunned at first by his rather hasty movement, but the feeling quickly dissipated, as she began to return his urgency to devour her lips, with her own urgency to devour his. _Finally!_ She sighed contently; _I could happily stay like this for…_

"Wallace for Arceus' sake; get down off that table this instance, before you fall and injure yourself! It's not a damn performance stage!"

It was that rather loud female cry; that forced them apart from their blissful exchange; as they both pulled back sharply from each other, in order to glance towards where the rather irate shout had emerged from.

To their amusement, they encountered a rather drunk Wallace, stood atop of one of the centre tables, twirling around rather flamboyantly, while widely gesticulating and shouting out garbled nonsense about elegance. While below him, stood a rather embarrassed and irate Winona, who was trying valiantly to try and get her husband down with the help of Roxanne, while two inches away, both Whitney and Candice were doubled over in laughter.

Both Cynthia and Steven's eyebrows widened in amusement, before they both returned their gazes towards each other.

"Should you go and intervene?" Cynthia asked, still rather breathless from their encounter. "I mean; he is your closest friend?" Even though she asked the question, her arms remained obstinately locked around his neck, clearly indicating, that she didn't want him too. (For the life of her though, she couldn't exactly remember when her arms had wrapped around his neck.)

"I should really," Steven replied, while brushing her fringe aside with his right hand. "But then again, he has a wife now, so I wouldn't like to take that honour away from her." His right hand then returned to her waist, and pulled her closer to him. (Again, she couldn't exactly pinpoint, when his hands had migrated to her waist, but she wasn't complaining in the slightest.) "Besides, I'm sure she can handle it." Another smirk spread across his face. "And anyway, I'm rather busy at the moment."

Cynthia smirked in return; _damn right he's busy._ And with that thought, she eagerly closed the gap between them this time.

* * *

 _What complete bliss._

The thing that seemed to be wrapped around her waist tugged her closer once again, but she paid no heed to it, as she was too enthralled in her blissful memories to notice. _The things that man could do with his mouth…_

* * *

 _Flashback…_

 _Breathe._

Cynthia had to remember to try and breathe, but with Steven's mouth firmly locked onto hers, and his tongue eagerly invading her mouth, she was finding that command rather difficult to follow. Not that she gave a damn at this present moment, as it was just too good. _Hmm..._

However, it seemed that Steven's brain must have been giving him the same message, because he finally pulled away, panting heavily, before lowering his forehead so that it rested against hers.

While the both of them were desperately trying to recover some much needed oxygen; a loud screech bellowed from across the other side of the room.

"You bitch! How dare you! You are so going to pay for that you jumped up tart!"

"Oh yeah! Well you started it you jumped up dragon cow!"

On hearing the rather irate argument that seemed to be brewing, they removed their foreheads from each other, before turning to observe the new drama that seemed to be unfolding in the centre of the room between a couple of female trainers and Clair. Cynthia mentally snorted to herself, s _urprise, surprise, if anyone was going to cause a fight, it was bound to be Clair._

"Ladies! Let's have some decorum please!" The stern voice of Lance could be heard, as he strode over to the disgruntled group of females, in order to stand next to his cousin. "We are here to enjoy the party, not to pick fights with each other."

"Well tell this jumped up somebody of a cousin of yours, to mind her own business!"

"You tell her Skyla," Misty exclaimed, as she joined into the fray.

"Who asked your opinion flat chest?" Clair spat back.

"Flat chest? You're asking for it now you…" With that, Misty lunged forward, in order to take a swing at the Blackthorn City gym leader; while the other females, took that as a queue to charge forward as well.

"LADIES PLEASE!" Lance shouted, as he jumped in front of his cousin, in order to protect her from the barrage of women charging towards her.

Cynthia's eyes widened in amazement; _well that's something you don't see everyday._ However, she could hardly say she was surprised, especially, as it concerned Clair. The Blackthorn City gym leader, was well known for being a first class bitch at the best of times, so it came as no surprise; that someone would end up taking a swing at her at some point. Cynthia snorted.

"Well, how classy."

"Yes indeed," Steven replied, clearly picking up on her sarcasm, before returning his surprised gaze back to hers, before the corner of his mouth curled up slightly. "I suppose Lance has his work cut out for him this time." He then leant forward, tilted, and then lowered his head, in order to rein kisses over her neck. Cynthia sighed happily, _hmm…so good._

She was well on her way to being lost to him again, before a thought struck her. Cynthia removed one of her hands from around his neck, before running it into his smooth, disarrayed locks; tugging lightly on the strands, in order to get him to lift his head.

When he did, his disappointed gaze landed on hers. She smirked.

"So Steven, what type of woman do you like?"

Steven's disappointment immediately turned into one of acknowledgement, as he smirked in response to her question.

"Well, since you've asked so nicely," he began, with a rather sexy drawl. "Certainly, none of those drama queens." His eyes began to smoulder again. "I prefer a woman who is strong, independent, intelligent and beautiful, both inside and out."

Cynthia's heart melted as she stared into those bright, shining orbs.

"And luckily for me, I have found the perfect one, and she's sat, right in front of me."

And with that, his hungry mouth began ravishing hers, once again.

* * *

 _God…it should be a crime for any man to be that sexy, seriously._ Cynthia gave a little moan as she nuzzled her pillow again. _But then again, I'm so not complaining._

* * *

 _Flashback…_

Everything after his confession just seemed to fade away from her existence, as she gave into the passion that was flowing between them. Cynthia was sure she could vaguely hear other dramas' happening in the background, but she paid no heed to them, as she was currently, way too occupied.

…

"Sidney, could you please put down that guitar!"

"Make me Falkner!"

"If you don't put that guitar down in five seconds I'm going to smash it over your head!"

…

"And now for my next trick, are you ready Drayden?"

"Grimsley no, don't throw that knife for Arceus' sake! You're drunk!"

…

"Carry my Morty."

"Get off me Phoebe!"

"Nope."

…

"I said I'm sorry Bugsy! I thought you looked like a female from the back!"

"Shut up Volkner, you pervert, just you wait!"

…

"Viola! If you don't delete that photo, I swear to god I will shove that camera…"

"I didn't mean to take it Sabrina, I swear!"

…

It seemed that many dramas' were still unfolding around them, but Cynthia was beyond caring as to what was happening elsewhere. The whole room could have erupted into a mass brawl, and she wouldn't have cared. Nothing but him mattered anymore, and after waiting for so long to finally have him, nothing was going to stop her now.

 _Dramas' be damned!_

* * *

Cynthia sighed contently as she recalled those rather blissful moments. _What a party!_

She was just about to try and focus on her memories again, when she was disrupted by another movement underneath her head, but this time, it was accompanied by the tightening sensation around her waist, then the feeling of a light pressure to the top of her head, before she heard a rather content sigh, that clearly hadn't come from her.

Cynthia furrowed her brow; _hang on a minute…I'm missing something here._ Even though the inside of her head still felt a little tender, she was way beyond curious now, as to discover what she had been resting on.

Slowly, she began to open her eyes, but she immediately regretted it; as the light she encountered, sent a searing pain shooting through her still tender head. She screwed her eyes shut. _Uhh…I'm never drinking again._

Her inner tirade at herself was cut short though, when she heard a little chuckle come from above her; that ended up reverberating through where she still had her head resting. Then she felt the soft pressure against the top of her head again.

 _Okay, that does it! I need to know, right now!_ With a mental push, she began to open her eyes again, this time blinking a few times, in order to adjust to the light better.

When she had finally managed to get her eyes to stay open, that's when she realized that she hadn't been resting on a pillow at all, but rather a very warm and toned chest. She instantly became alert at that. _Well hello…_

Completely disregarding the dull ache still in her head, she lifted it off her rather comfy cushion, before slowly raising her gaze up said chest, until she encountered a pair of rather amused blue irises gazing up at her. _Oh..._

"Well good morning sleepyhead. Did you sleep okay?"

Cynthia furrowed her brows together as she continued to gaze at him. Obviously, there were some vital parts of her memories still missing from last night it seemed, because as of this moment, she had trouble recalling how they had ended up in this position.

Steven gave a little chuckle, as he saw her rather confused expression.

"Having a little trouble remembering are we?" he asked humorously.

She shot him a glare. However, it seemed to have zero effect on him.

"Maybe I should jog your memory for you a bit?"

Cynthia continued to glare at his rather smug expression. He was enjoying this. _Damn him, the smug, sexy son of a…_ She sighed in defeat, well it looked like she had no other choice, as she seemed to be coming up blank on recalling anything else at the moment.

He gave another little chuckle, before raising his left hand, in order to brush some of her hair away from her face.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

She furrowed her brows in concentration, before groaning in pain at the dull ache still inside her head; _damn alcohol._

"Well, I actually remember most of the party; including up to the point where we began..." she trailed off as she blushed slightly.

His smirk grew again.

"Making out?"

Cynthia nodded in agreement.

"Yeah that," she replied shyly, which she thought was a bit ridiculous, as it seemed a bit pointless to by shy around him now. She cleared her throat. "And that's as far as I've got up to, at the moment."

Steven nodded, as his smirk relaxed into a warm smile instead.

"Well, let me fill in the rest of the picture for you," he stated, before running his right hand up and down her bare back.

She shivered slightly from the pleasure it brought; _Arceus; this man was way too good at driving her insane, it was downright unfair._

"While we were making out, there seemed to be a lot of ruckus going on between a lot of our colleagues. So, I suggested that we should leave and continue this somewhere quieter, because the noise was becoming too distracting. Therefore, we made our way here to your hotel and then…"

Cynthia's eyes widened, as her memory came rushing back to her like a flood. _Oh…that's right,_ _we came back here and then…huh…_ She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks, as she lowered her gaze to his chest before a content smile tugged at her lips. _Well..._

"So, I take it you finally remember?" he asked, rather cheekily.

 _Oh yes…she finally remembered alright._ She raised her gaze back to his; only to encounter his rather smug expression. He looked like a Persian; that had definitely gotten the cream. _Smug son of a…well...two can play at this game._ Cynthia gave a little smirk of her own.

"Hmm…it would appear so," she replied seductively, as she began to trail her right hand down his toned torso. "However, I do still seem to be having some trouble recalling all of what happened in this room between us. Or more specifically, I should say, what happened in this bed."

Steven raised his left eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" he said, before he grabbed her waist and rolled her over onto her back, so that he now hovered above her. "Well then, there's nothing else for it, I will have to refresh your memory of that part, won't I?" And with that, he leaned down to cover her mouth with his.

She sighed against his mouth, as her hands ran down his bare back; _oh, please do._

Cynthia's last coherent thought, before she completely lost herself to him once again, was that; without a shadow of a doubt, she could honestly say, she'd been so glad that she'd attended the party.

* * *

 **And there we are. I hope you made it here!**

 **I wanted to try and make it as humorous as I possibly could, and I did try to include a vast number of other characters, but I didn't want to drag it out too long, otherwise, it'd be a novel! So I hope I done it justice.**

 **I think Steven might be perceived as being slightly OC, but then again, it is a party right? But I didn't make him extremely OC because that defeats the purpose.**

 **I did slightly bash some other characters in this story as well, (mostly Alder and Clair more than anything,) but I** **apologize to anyone who are fans of some of the characters that I did bash in this story.**

 **Remember, keep those requests coming.**

 **Until next time everyone!**


	15. Jealousy

**Hello everyone! I'm back!**

 **Yes I am still with you all, and I am still writing, it's just I've been delayed by working all late shifts in work the past few weeks. Oh the joys of work...sarcasm.**

 **Anyhow, I'm back and I have a story for you all.**

 **This particular story is again based on a request, and I guess you can tell by the title what it is about. But basically it's focussed on jealousy. I think it sort of speaks for itself.**

 **I will say though, that the story is once again told from Cynthia's point of view, but there are quite a few guest appearances in this, the most prominent ones being Bertha, Diantha, Wallace and Riley. (And yes Steven is here, I mean it would be kind of stupid if he wasn't for this type of story).**

 **Anyhow, I don't think I can really say much more here without spoiling it. So, I will stop babbling now.**

 **No ties to any other stories this one.**

 **As for rating, I'm putting it at a level T, as there is a little bad language and there are suggestive themes, but again nothing overly graphic, do don't worry.**

 ** _Cynthia's thoughts are in italics._**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Cynthia gritted her teeth, as she observed the scene in front of her.

That; was another woman in the space of thirty minutes. Cynthia gripped her hand tightly into a fist; _surely, he has had enough attention for one day._

* * *

The League Conference was usually a very vast affair, not surprising, since the elite of the elite gathered in attendance.

Of course, this is where Cynthia now found herself, stood inside the vast conference hall, inside the Indigo Plateau. The event tended to be a rather tedious, if not enjoyable event, as it was one of the few occasions; that she got a chance to see acquaintances; that she hadn't seen for quite a while.

Of course, there was one in particular; that she was most eager to see again; that being, the Hoenn champion, the heir of Devon himself, Steven Stone. Usually, at events like this, they spent most of their time together socializing and catching up with each other. However, at this present moment, this wasn't the case.

Usually, Cynthia was quite happy, if not jubilant, when it came to seeing him again, but today, rather than feeling elation at the chance of seeing him, she felt quite the opposite, in fact, she would go as far as saying, she was rather annoyed with him.

On this occasion, it seemed her frustration at him, stemmed from the fact that the man, hadn't even acknowledged her once yet, because his time, was being completely monopolized by the vast majority of their female colleagues. In fact, this was the sixth female in the last hour, _not that I am counting or anything._

There was no denying, that females seemed to flock to him, like flies around jam, _a rather crude analogy, but apt in this circumstance;_ but most of the time, he tended to be rather aloof about these things, more reserved, as he usually just tolerated their attention, because it was the gentlemanly thing to do. However today, it didn't seem to be the case, as he seemed to be be...enjoying it?

To be fair, some of the women he had been talking too, were probably, only making polite conversation with him, like Gardenia and Winona for example, as they were both already in committed relationships, but that didn't excuse most of the others. Still, even if that was the case, _exactly, how many more women were going to throw them-selves at him today?_ Cynthia gave a little sigh, _okay, that sounded rather harsh even inside my own mind._

She witnessed Steven finally turn from Caitlin, now only to lock gazes with Shauntal, who had strolled over to him, in order to engage him in another conversation.

Cynthia sighed irritably as she watched their interaction; _why am I feeling like this? So what if he drew a lot of female attention, he was a free agent after all, he was allowed to pursue whomever he liked. It wasn't as if I care, I mean it's not as if I'm his_ _wife or anything._ Cynthia slightly shook her head, she to admit though,her denial sounded weak even inside her own mind.

She gave another deep sigh, she didn't exactly know, why seeing him like this wound her up so much, or why she felt like storming over there and dragging him away by his collar, but she just did. She supposed, the probable explanation was that, she was just concerned for him; _well I am a close friend of his after all._ Although, if she was completely honest with herself, Steven was one of the only people, if not the only person, outside of her family; that she'd ever become close to; _and any good friend wanted to protect another, right?_

The concern came from the fact; that the majority of females, were only interested in his title and looks; and this is what greatly annoyed her. To be fair, Steven was a rather handsome guy; add to the fact that he was a champion and sole heir to a major company; he tended to be a magnet for attracting female attention; mostly ones; that unfortunately, were only after him, so that they could exploit these attributes of his, for their own personal needs. And this is what aggravated her the most.

 _Okay, I will admit I do find him attractive, but that's not all there is to him, far from it._ Cynthia growled; there was much more to the man than his status. No, the man had many more attributes that made him who he was, things that included his charming personality, his caring persona, his sharp intelligence; the list was endless. But many could only see the physical attributes, and the attraction of his power.

Cynthia sighed again, as she saw the way Shauntal was laughing at something he must have said. Her eyes narrowed; _can't they just leave him alone? Or better yet, why doesn't he just stop?_

"You know dear, if you glare any harder, that poor woman will have holes burnt through her."

Cynthia nearly jumped out of her skin, at the voice suddenly coming from her left hand side.

"For Arceus' sake Bertha, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The elder raised her eyebrow questionably.

"Well, I'm sure if you had been paying attention to your surroundings, rather than shooting daggers at Shauntal, then you would have undoubtedly noticed my arrival, dear child."

Cynthia could feel her eyes widen; _damn it, she was quick to catch on._

"I have no clue as to what you are referring to Bertha," Cynthia replied, mentally deciding that the best course of action; would be to just act nonchalant, and deny absolutely everything.

"Is that so?" the elder enquired, before raising a sceptical eyebrow at her; as a little smirk began to appear over her features.

 _Oh no, I've seen that look before;_ _this isn't going to be pretty. I need to evade this quickly._

"Yes, that is so."

She could see Bertha tilt her head in thought.

"Well, that is interesting," the elder commented, before a knowing look, flashed across her eyes. "Well then, maybe it's not Shauntal that you are so concerned about after all."

Cynthia shifted uncomfortably on her feet; _damn it, she was sharp,_ _she had to give her that._

"Maybe, it's the company that she is keeping at the present, that is causing you distress."

Her eyes widened at Bertha's comment. She should've guessed that the elder would catch on rather quick, and that she wouldn't let the subject drop, despite her constant denial, _damn it!_

"Because dear child, for the last thirty minutes, I have been observing you, and your eyes have never strayed once from Mr Stone."

Cynthia shifted nervously again.

"If you are not careful, one may think that you are jealous of the amount of attention that he seems to be receiving, and bestowing on many of our other female colleagues."

And just like that, Cynthia could feel the embarrassment wash over her, like a raging waterfall.

"Bertha! What…I…why…" she managed to stutter out, rather unsuccessfully trying to cover up her embarrassment. "I'm not jealous at all!"

Bertha raised her eyebrow in scepticism again, as she took in the champion's rather flustered demeanour. At the elder's look, Cynthia sighed; _she wasn't going to let this go._ She gave a mental sigh, as her gaze meandered back to where Steven was still, locked in conversation with Shauntal.

"I'm just concerned for his wellbeing; that's all. I mean, let's face it, many females are only after him for his title and wealth." _See; that sounded plausible._ However, when she glanced back to the elder _,_ her expression clearly showed; that she wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"Believe what you will dear child, but you cannot deny that you are deeply disturbed and upset about what you are witnessing. Whether you call it jealousy or not, you cannot deny that it is eating you up inside."

At Cynthia's pensive expression and lack of response, Bertha martyred on.

"I cannot tell you what to do, as you are your own person, and a grown woman at that. But what I will say; is that you mustn't let these feelings take control of you, as they are blinding you to the facts and clouding your judgement on the situation at hand. My advice dear; would be to speak to him. I'm sure he will appreciate the interruption, since it would be coming from you."

Cynthia lowered her head slightly, just as she felt Bertha reach out for her hand, before she gave it a squeeze in reassurance and then released it.

"I implore you child; please consider my words, and do what you think is right." And with that, the elder bowed her head slightly, before leaving her to her thoughts.

As Bertha strolled away, Cynthia's gaze returned to Steven once again, only to see him now talking to Unova's resident flying expert, Skyla. _Oh terrific, another one? And could this one be anymore obvious?_

From Cynthia's observation point, she could clearly see Skyla twirling her hair between her fingers as she was talking to him, and of course, add to the fact that she was wearing her traditional outfit too, which consisted of hardly anything, just made the situation even more cringe worthy. _How the woman hadn't been arrested for public indecency yet, was beyond comprehension._

Skyla seemed to shuffle a few inches closer to him. Cynthia could practically feel her blood beginning to boil under her skin as she narrowed her eyes. _That woman was more obvious than a stop sign. Maybe Bertha was right, maybe I am jealous?_ She shook her head in denial. S _he was just concerned for him that's all; she just didn't want to see him get hurt,_ _something that any good friend would want to stop._

She sighed; _I am in no way jealous!_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Skyla had abandoned Steven, and had now firmly latched herself onto Volkner. However, Cynthia's mood didn't improve at all, as the Hoenn champion was now deep in conversation, with the Olivine City gym leader, Jasmine.

The young woman was obviously deeply enthralled by whatever he was saying to her, _well; who wouldn't be?_ She supposed they had a lot to talk about, what with them both being steel type enthusiasts, but Cynthia couldn't help but feel uneasy; becuase they had too much in common. She gave a heavy sigh.

"Enjoying the view?"

Cynthia's eyes widened, as she nearly jumped a mile at the unanticipated voice. Her heart thumped widely inside her chest, as she tried to recover from the fright she'd just received. She whirled around, only to come face-to-face with the Kalos champion.

"Diantha! What the…"

The Kalos champion gave a little amused smirk, at her startled reaction.

"Well, if you had been paying attention, you would have heard me," she stated casually, completely unapologetic about startling the living daylights out of her. "You know, I don't see why you just don't go over there and plant one on him. That'd be a sure fine way to grab his attention."

Diantha took one look at her friend, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter at the startled expression Cynthia was now sporting, and the rather prominent blush that had spread over her cheeks.

"What?" Cynthia exclaimed, valiantly trying to keep her voice down, so as not to attract any unwanted attention their way, _that's all I need._ "What the hell, Diantha?"

"What the hell, what?" the Kalos champion replied, after finally controlling her mirth, before tilting her head, at the steely glare Cynthia was now sending her way.

"You know damn well what!" Cynthia exclaimed, as she could feel the anger, steadily bubbling up from within her. But unfortunately for her, the Kalos champion was hardly intimidated by her ire, in fact, she had the nerve to smirk at her. Cynthia internally groaned; _could this day get any worse?_

"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you haven't thought about it?"

Cynthia's blush seemed to deepen.

"No," she replied, but her reply sounded weak, even to her own ears. She mentally cursed herself at her uncertain answer, because her weakness only seemed to fuel Diantha's claims.

"Oh really, then why are you standing over here, acting all gloomy, because he's over there?"

Upon hearing Diantha's question, Cynthia huffed slightly, before averting her gaze back to the person; that was the cause of her, so called, 'gloomy' mood. As she did, she caught sight of Steven writing something down on a piece of paper, before handing it to Jasmine. As he did, Cynthia could feel her eyes narrowing into a glare. _What did he just give her, it better not be…_

But her malicious thoughts were disrupted.

"Ah, I get it. You're just jealous then?"

Cynthia's eyes widened in alarm, as she whirled back around to face the Kalos champion. Judging by the rather smug and knowing look she was giving her, Diantha had obviously noticed her reaction to the scenario that had just played out between Jasmine and Steven, _great, as if I haven't_ _suffered enough._ She could feel her ire resurfacing again.

"I'm not jealous!" she exclaimed in exasperation, w _hy the hell was everyone accusing me of that?_

"Are you sure about that?" She could see the Kalos champion; raise one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows, sceptically. "Because your expression says otherwise."

Cynthia balled her fists together in frustration, _I need to put a stop to this right now, I'm starting to act like a five-year old for heaven's sake!_

"Yes Diantha, quite sure."

"Hmm…if you say so."

"I do say so," Cynthia exclaimed, through slightly gritted teeth. "Like I explained to Bertha earlier, he is just a really good friend that I'm watching out for, nothing more."

At her rather irate and stubborn attitude, Diantha finally seemed to take pity on her.

"You know what? You both are completely hopeless." She gave a heavy sigh of defeat. "I seriously would have thought you two would have gotten together by now." Diantha then shook her head in bewilderment. "Perhaps I should just lock the both of you in a closet and hope for the best?"

Even though she had muttered the last part under her breath, Cynthia had still managed to hear her. Upon hearing her rather bold remark, Cynthia couldn't help the blush; that flooded into her cheeks again.

She was the second person that had come on to her today, accusing her of being jealous. Why everyone was suddenly taking an interest in the situation, was beyond Cynthia's comprehension. What made it worse, was that Diantha had even gone as far as suggesting that she was infatuated with him. _Maybe I am? Maybe I am over-reacting? Maybe I am slightly..._

Cynthia shook her head in denial; _no, stop over thinking; they are_ _just messing with my mind,_ _making me question myself. I like him as a friend, and I am just concerned for him, that is all! I am in no way jealous!_

Even with her mantra, she was still slightly unsure.

* * *

"My my, aren't we a picture of delight?"

Cynthia's eyes widened, as she nearly dropped the glass she was holding in surprise, at the rather, overly cheerful voice that appeared from behind her; _what the hell was it with people sneaking up on me today?_

"Wallace, for heaven's sake! Do not sneak up on me like that!"

He quirked his eyebrow at her.

"Oh?" he asked rather knowingly. "And pray tell, what has you so enthralled, that you failed to hear my approach?"

Cynthia refused to feed the guy's nosiness; otherwise, she'd never hear the end of it. However, she couldn't help but steal a glance in Steven's direction again. Unfortunately for her, Wallace had caught it, as he too glanced in the same direction.

Once his gaze returned to hers, another knowing look flashed through his eyes.

"Ah, of course. I should have guessed," he commented, with a rather smug smirk beginning to stretch across his face. "You know, wherever he goes, he seems to draw female attention."

Cynthia internally groaned, _well thank you Wallace, for stating the glaringly obvious._ She was in no mood for this aggravating man's antics at the moment.

"Well, it isn't surprising, considering that my best friend is probably one of the most powerful men in Hoenn, not to mention, well known around every region. Also, you can't deny that he is quite a handsome man, not as handsome as me mind, but still handsome."

Cynthia growled as she shot him a rather stern glare, but, much to her dismay, it hardly affected the irritating man at all, as he just seemed to plough on ahead, vastly unaware of the storm gathering around her.

"And I certainly cannot blame you Cynthia, for being jealous over the attention he receives."

Her eyes narrowed again in warning. She couldn't help but think; that he was either really brave, or extremely stupid, not to notice the imminent danger he was in.

"Deny it all you want, I know you must be feeling it. I mean; it's not hard to figure out that you both are close, as the feelings you two share can be pretty obvious. Everyone can see it, hell, even a blind person could see it."

Cynthia had to seriously suppress the urge to hit him. He was treading on thin ice, and her patience had almost reached its limit.

"But I will let you in on a little secret." With that statement, Wallace threw his arm around her shoulders. She immediately stiffened at the contact. "My best friend; has never been that good on recognizing people who are interested in him, he never could pick up on the signals they give out very well."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze before releasing her. Cynthia had to restrain the urge to break his arm, at the rather bold movement.

"But a word of advice, if I were you, I'd march over there and make it fairly obvious; that you want his attention. Make it known that you want him and that he is yours. If I know Steven, I'm sure he would be quite thrilled!"

Wallace gave her a rather suggestive wink, as he headed back into the crowd, before Cynthia could follow through with any of her threats.

As he walked away though, Cynthia couldn't help but feel that embarrassment flood through her again. _What the hell was wrong with everyone today?_ _What was this, torment Cynthia day?_ He'd been the third person to make such wild suggestions and accusations; and she had to admit, it was mortifying to say the least. And it was all because of one man. She groaned.

 _Damn you Steven Stone._

* * *

Cynthia gave a heavy sigh as she took another drink, _well this has been a rather fantastic evening,_ she sarcastically thought.

"Well, look who it is!"

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the voice. When she turned, she encountered a face that she hadn't seen for quite a few months.

"Riley! How wonderful to see you," Cynthia exclaimed, as she leant forward and gave him a hug. "And of course Lucario," she said, as she pulled away from the hug and nodded towards the canine who was stood next to him.

The pokemon nodded its head in greeting.

"Lucario."

Cynthia gave a smile in response, before returning her attention to its master.

"So, how have you been? Last I heard, you were travelling through Unova."

"I was," he replied, with a nod of his head in affirmation. "In fact, I only returned yesterday."

"Really?"

Riley nodded his head again.

"Yes indeed. The region detained me longer than I thought. You'd be surprised at how much mystery and history that the region holds; and I thought our fair land was rich with it, theirs is just as decent."

"That sounds fascinating," Cynthia replied with intrigue. His journey did sound rather fascinating; and she couldn't deny, that she was dying to know more about it.

She glanced towards Steven once again; he was now talking to Viola, who by the looks of it, seemed to be showing him something off of her camera. Cynthia internally sighed; _I need to get my mind off of him, before I lose said mind._

She turned to face Riley once again, who was looking at her with a rather amused expression. Cynthia cursed herself for her bad manners; she'd completely ignored him just then; _damn that Steven Stone!_

"Sorry Riley, my mind wondered there for a moment," she apologised, with a rather sheepish expression, as she clicked her fingers together on her right hand. "Tell you what, why don't we catch up for a bit? As I'm most intrigued to hear all about your recent excursion, as it sounds like you had a wonderful time."

"Sounds like a plan," Riley replied with a smile, as he raised his pokeball to return Lucario.

"Excellent! Let's go grab a table, and then you can tell me all about it," she stated with a bright smile, as they both turned, and began heading over to the tables at the back of the hall. As they did, Cynthia couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, but she shrugged the feeling away, as she focussed her attention on Riley.

She was beyond intrigued to hear about his recent trip to Unova, as it was a region; that she had wanted to explore for quite a while now, but due to league commitments, she hadn't found the time. Furthermore, speaking to Riley would give her a chance to focus on something else for a while.

That's not to say it had anything to do with distracting and distancing herself from Steven, by any means; and it certainly had nothing to do with the strong negative feelings she had, towards the mass amount of female attention that he was still attracting; _no,_ _nothing at all._

She released a heavy sigh as she continued walking alongside Riley. _Curse you Steven Stone._

* * *

She was currently listening to Riley's recount of his journey through Unova, and it was fascinating to say the least. His stories had only peaked her curiosity even more. She made a mental note to herself, to try and arrange a trip to Unova in the very near future.

However, during the entire time he was talking, she still couldn't shake that undeniable feeling; that she was still being watched. _It was almost as if…_

"Well, I hope I'm not intruding."

Cynthia stiffened at the sound of the voice that was approaching their table from behind her. It was a voice; that she could recognize anywhere; Steven Stone. _Oh, now he decides to turn up, just as I've finally stopped paying attention to him._

Even though she was vastly annoyed with him, it still didn't stop her from noticing his closeness. She could feel the warmth radiating off him as he finally came to stop, behind her chair. She could also smell his cologne too; a potent combination, that could throw off her self-control at the best of times, _damn it, t_ _his man is lethal!_

However, to save some of her dignity and to sustain some of her anger at him, Cynthia refused to turn around and acknowledge him, _it was only fair,_ she thought, _since he hasn't acknowledged me at all today._ Unfortunately for her resolve, Riley had no such afflictions with the man.

"Steven," Riley greeted, as he lifted out his hand towards the Hoenn champion, who was still stood behind her chair. "A pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise Riley," the man replied as he reached out over her shoulder, to shake the aura's hand.

After releasing his hand, Steven moved from behind her, to now stand, between the both of them.

"Cynthia," Steven greeted, in his usual, thick Hoenn drawl.

"Steven," she responded, rather coldly, not glancing at him once. Her eyes remained focussed on Riley, who was sat there, giving her a rather perplexed look. She supposed, that he was quite surprised with her rather abrupt greeting, towards the man, but she had to give Riley some credit; he caught on rather quick.

"I was just recounting to Cynthia about my recent journey through Unova. Would you care to join us?"

Cynthia's eyes widened slightly, _or maybe he hadn't._ Under normal circumstances, she would have agreed with the aura's sentiments, but presently, she was still rather upset with the Hoenn champion, so personally, she would've preferred to avoid such confrontation with him. She managed to sneak a glance at Steven, from underneath her fringe and she had to restrain the urge to snigger at the rather pensive look he was sporting, as if he was uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"That sounds fascinating Riley, truly it does, but perhaps another time," he replied, before he gave a little cough. "I actually came over here, to ask if I could steal Cynthia away from you, as I need to speak to her, with regards to a private matter. I hope you don't mind?"

That question, finally made her look at him. Grey met blue. Usually, she loved staring into his eyes, that steely blue colour; that made her feel like she was swimming in a ocean. However, she wasn't going to succumb to his charms this time, not now.

She could see the slight confusion flash through his eyes, as he observed the rather stern and hard look she was giving him. She wasn't impressed, and she wanted him to know that; _now you want my attention?_

She should have told him no, left him standing there, but then again, she didn't want to seem petty, especially, in front of witnesses; that would make her look foolish. She was above that kind of behaviour, even though her mind was telling her to let him have it. _He wants my attention? I'll give him my attention, along with a piece of my mind!_

Placing her anger on the back burner, she returned her gaze to the still perplexed aura, sat across from her. He had no doubt noticed the exchange between them, but had wisely refrained from saying anything. She gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Riley, maybe we can catch up later?"

"Of course, not a problem," he replied, with a slight hesitant smile.

Cynthia gave him a thankful smile this time, before steeling her expression and returning her gaze, to the rather stoic and quiet Hoenn champion. She could see the uncertainty in his cobalt eyes; she briefly entertained the idea of leaving him stew for a while, but then again, she just had to bide her time, just for a little longer.

She raised her hand out towards Steven. She could almost see him breathe a sigh of relief at her acceptance. He raised his hand and intertwined their hands together, before glancing towards Riley.

"Would you excuse us," Steven stated, before literally yanking Cynthia out of her seat, and leading her by their joint hands, out of the conference hall.

* * *

After literally dragging her away from the conference hall, he ended up leading her into a room, just down the corridor, which looked to be some sort of library or study, judging by the amount of books and the single leather sofa, that were present in the room.

When he led her fully into the room, he finally dropped her hand and whirled around to face her.

"Okay, now that I have your undivided attention," he stated, before giving her a little smile. "I can finally spend some time with you catching up."

Even though she should have felt glad, to finally get to spend some time with him, Cynthia wasn't, far from it. She was highly unimpressed with him at the present moment; _how dare he just drag me away like that!_ She could feel her blood begin to boil.

"You've got a right nerve, you know that?"

At her rather sharp tone, Steven gave her a shocked look in response.

"What was that outburst for?" he replied, quite puzzled by her remark.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at him; his aloof attitude to the problem only caused her ire towards him to increase.

"What was that outburst for? I'll tell you what that outburst was," she stated, as her voice increased in volume. "You spend hours enjoying the attention of a variety of female trainers; then barge into my conversation with Riley, before literally dragging me away, like a damn caveman; and then you have the cheek to ask me what's wrong?"

However, Steven reacted quite the opposite to what she had hoped. Instead of being remorseful or slightly taken aback by her tirade, he had the nerve, to actually laugh. Cynthia could feel her anger intensifying with each passing second.

"Well, I'm glad I could provide you with some sort of amusement," she snidely remarked, but it seemed that it went completely ignored, as the man continued to laugh. Cynthia gritted her teeth together in annoyance; _d_ _amn irritating…annoying…frustrating…son of a…_

After a few moments, Steven did finally manage to control his mirth. As he returned his gaze to the Sinnoh champion, he didn't fail to notice the death glare she was now sending him, and he wasn't blind to the anger that seemed to be simmering inside her. Clearly, she wasn't very impressed with him.

"I'm sorry," he replied, before shaking his head slightly in amusement. "I couldn't help it, you see, I've been called many things in the past, but caveman is a new one, and I couldn't help but find that quite amusing."

He may have found that hilarious, but she didn't find it amusing, at all. She growled in frustration.

"Tell you what Steven, why don't you go and find some other female trainers to go and spend time with and leave me be, like you have done all evening. I'm sure you'll enjoy that more, as there are plenty in that conference room, that haven't thrown themselves at you yet."

She could see Steven's eyes widen slightly at her tirade, all traces of humour immediately disappearing, before a look of disbelief flashed across his features.

"Cynthia, what in the world are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" she snapped back. "I've watched you the entire time you've been here, enjoying yourself, at having an array of female trainers flock around you; like Shauntal, Skyla, Viola and not to mention Jasmine, should I go on?"

She could see his eyes widen again slightly, before he sighed heavily and shook his head in bafflement.

"You know what Cynthia? For all your intelligence and brilliance, sometimes you can fail to see the obvious." At his remark, he could obviously see the ire rise again inside her, because just as she was about to make her sentiments known, he cut her off rather abruptly.

"If you really must know, those women, actually all came to me with regards to particular things," he stated, with a tilt of his head. "If you really must know, Shauntal wanted to inform me of this rather hilarious novel that I should read, while Skyla was trying to actually get information out of me, with regards to Winona's preparation for their upcoming flight battle. She thought I actually knew something, what with her being the wife of one of my closest friends; which is highly ludicrous in my opinion."

He gave a little chuckle at that, before continuing.

"As for Viola, she was showing me the outcome of the gadget my father created. You see, he recently designed a prototype of a device; that attaches to a camera lens, which performs a similar function to that of the Devon Scope. He actually sent one to Viola, because let's be honest, she was the ideal candidate to try it, as she is a professional photographer after all. She came over to show me how it was working, so that I could report back to my father with the results. And Jasmine…"

He furrowed his brows in thought; before he clicked his fingers together.

"Oh that's right, I wrote down the location on where she could locate a Beldum, as she intends to visit Hoenn in the next few months, and is dead keen on catching one for herself." He scratched the back of his neck. "To be frank, all that attention was actually getting rather tedious," he said, while giving another little chuckle. "I hope that has appeased your intrigue on this subject Cynthia, although, if you don't mind me asking, I am curious to know; why this sudden interrogation? This isn't like you at all. "

At his explanation, Cynthia could feel a slight wave of embarrassment flood through her, _maybe I am being rather rash and irrational._ But then she shook her head in irritation. Regardless of his implied feelings at the attention, that still didn't mean he avoided it.

"It's not an interrogation," she sharply retorted. "I'm just saying, that you seemed to be enjoying yourself, what with being the centre of attention and all."

She could see his eyes narrow slightly at her, as he folded his arms in annoyance.

"Honestly Cynthia, what is wrong with you?" he asked, as he shook his head in frustration. "It seems that you are implying that I was deliberately vying for their attention, which I find disconcerting, because I thought you knew me better than that?"

Cynthia could hear the hurt within his voice as she observed his rather wounded expression. _Maybe she was being irrational here? Maybe she was being too harsh on him? Maybe it is just…_ She could feel her anger cool slightly, before she gave a frustrated sigh.

"Of course I know you Steven, what type of question is that?"

She could see him raise his eyebrow sceptically. She cursed internally, _damn emotions._

"Well, if you know me, then why are you…" he began, but was abruptly cut off.

"I was concerned for you! Alright?" she said irritably, before ploughing her hand through her hair. "I was afraid that they were going to take advantage of you, as none of them know you like I do. And let's face it; most women are only interested in you because of your status and looks. I was just concerned for you, like any good friend would be."

Cynthia glanced at him, but she could see he wasn't convinced in the slightest; in fact, her statement seemed to have irked him, if judging by the stern glare he was giving her, was anything to go by.

"Oh really? Then I guess I should be grateful that you were so concerned for my welfare," he replied, although his words carried a slight sarcastic undertone to it. "Then tell me Cynthia, if you were that concerned about me, then why were you spending your time in close quarters with Riley."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion, at the rather abrupt turn in conversation. _What the hell was he saying now?_ she thought, as he continued staring at her, expectantly awaiting her answer.

"What?" she asked, as she was still quite baffled by his question. "We weren't in close quarters, and if you must know, I was asking Riley how his recent trip to Unova went, that's all."

"Oh, really?" he asked, as he raised his eyebrow sceptically.

"Yes, that was all! And besides, I only bumped into him an hour ago," she replied, slightly annoyed at his accusing questions. _Why was he taking a sudden interest in her conversation with Riley?_

He gave a huff, before zeroing his gaze onto hers.

"Is that so? Because it sure as hell didn't seem like it to me," he shot back with a hint of irritation.

She furrowed her brows together.

"What on earth are you…" she began to ask, before she was cut off by his raised voice.

"I saw you hug him Cynthia! And I dare say, you seemed pretty cosy and content with him earlier, before I arrived, that's for sure!"

Cynthia's eyes widened, as her mouth dropped open in shock; _o_ _h hell no, he didn't just say that! No way was he going to turn this into her problem._ That was it; he had gone too far this time. She could feel that uncontrollable anger building up from within her, as she clenched her fists together, _damn_ _infuriating man! How dare he imply such things!_

"Are you accusing me of what I think you are accusing me of?"

She waited for him to say something, but he didn't, and this only enraged her more.

"I can't believe you!" her voice raised a few notches higher, as the anger began to flow from her in waves. "You've got a right nerve, you know that?" She was fuming, _how dare he suggest such a thing?_

Even though she was seething with anger at him, she was mortified to discover that she could feel tears beginning to build up in her eyes, as her vision became glassy. She was sure she could see his expression change to one of alarm at her tears, but the moisture in her eyes, made her vision too blurry to see for sure.

"Cynthia..." she could hear him say.

However, she wouldn't let him finish, she was on a roll and there was no stopping her now.

"How can you stand there and accuse me of that?" she asked, mortified at herself, when a few of her tears finally leaked from her eyes. "You claim I don't know you, but you obviously don't know me at all!" She raised her arms, in order to frantically wipe away the tears that had spilled over.

She could hear Steven step closer to her, as he reached out to grab hold of her cheeks, stopping her from wiping away her tears, which he now did for her, with his own hands.

Cynthia had to take in a deep breath in order to control herself, as she felt his fingers gently wipe away her tears. Even though she was still rather upset with him, she couldn't control her natural response to him, as she slightly leaned into his warmth. (And yes she could still smell that damn cologne of his!)

Cynthia sighed deeply, before she finally opened her eyes and locked gazes with him. She had to take in a sharp breath as she gazed into those dazzling blue orbs. She could see the apology and remorse within his eyes.

"Cynthia, please don't cry, I'm sorry…so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, I just let my emotions get the best of me."

His voice was so tender, that she nearly burst into tears again, but this time, for an entirely different reason. However, she steeled her heart slightly, she still wanted to know why he had said such things.

"Then why would you say such things? Give me one good reason Steven."

She could see the uncertainty brewing within his eyes, before he cleared his throat.

"I…" he began, but trailed off. "It's because I…" He lowered his gaze to the floor, as he seemed to stumble over his words.

As it seemed that he wasn't going to elaborate, Cynthia could feel the annoyance stir within her again; _no way am I going to let this slide._

"Tell me Steven, why? I thought we were close, I mean…"

At her rather wounded tone, he shot his gaze back up to hers.

"We are close Cynthia…we are…I just got a bit upset because…because I…"

Cynthia huffed in annoyance, at his inability to vocalize what he wanted to say.

"What Steven? Because you what?"

"It's because…"

"Steven!"

"It's because I love you!"

The argument finally ceased rather abruptly, as they both immediately froze at his confession. _He what now?_

Cynthia could see his eyes widen and his mouth drop open, as he realized what he had just admitted, but she was sure her expression must have been the same. She'd been expecting him to say, something along similar lines as to what she told (well shouted) at him earlier. In no way was she expecting this. _Oh my…_

Moments passed as the silence dragged on, before Steven finally gave a heavy sigh, as he stepped away from her and lowered his gaze to the floor. He gave another dejected sigh, and it was this; that finally dragged Cynthia out of her shocked stupor.

"I'm sorry I upset you, but it seemed my jealousy got the better of me Cynthia. I guess it's true when they call it a monster, because it is true, it does make you hurt the ones you love. And I guess, it has cost me the one thing that I wanted the most."

Steven lifted his gaze back towards her. Cynthia could see the heartbroken expression he bore; and it was nearly enough to make her cry again. Even though he had hurt her by his remarks, she couldn't let him take all the blame, as she was the one, who had started this really, by being jealous over him. She took in a sharp breath at her realization; she had finally admitted it too herself at last, as his confession, had finally made it all click into place for her. She steeled herself internally; _it was time to be honest with my feelings and to be honest with him._

On impulse, without giving it a second thought, she quickly strode forward into his personal space; grabbed his face between her hands, and then leant up and placed her lips over his for a tentative kiss. She could tell he was stunned, by his lack of immediate response, but that didn't last for long, as his shock soon wore off, as Cynthia felt his hands snake around her waist, in order to bring her closer to him, before his mouth, finally reciprocated her movements.

Time seemed to disappear altogether as they lost themselves in each other. She could feel all the anger and frustration seep away from her, as their mouths moved together in synchronicity. She sighed against his lips, _finally._

After several long, blissful moments, they eventually pulled apart, both breathless. Their eyes met again, before Steven lowered his forehead to rest against hers, as they both panted slightly, in order to recover some much-needed oxygen.

Steven was the first to recover, as he gave a deep sigh.

"I am truly sorry Cynthia, I didn't mean…" but his apology was cut off, when Cynthia raised a finger to his lips in order to silence him.

"It's okay Steven, you shouldn't be the only one apologizing here," she softly stated, as she could feel the moisture re-appearing in her eyes. She sniffled slightly, before lowering her gaze to the floor. "I should also apologize, it wasn't fair to accuse you of such things, when you clearly aren't like that at all."

Cynthia could feel his left hand begin to stroke her cheek, as a few tears seemed to spill over from her eyes again. But it was that tenderness; that gave her the courage to continue.

"While it is true, that I was concerned about you, that's not all it was. It seems that I was envious of your attention being kept elsewhere, and especially, since it was with other females." She sighed, before readjusting her forehead against his. "I guess I can admit now, that I was jealous of them; and I realize now; that it was all because of one simple reason."

Cynthia finally raised her eyes back to his. She could hear Steven take in a deep breath, as their eyes connected. She was sure he could see the strong emotions that she held for him, shining brightly from her eyes, which was probably enhanced, by the fact that her eyes were still slightly glassy.

She gave a little content smile at his reaction, before she took a deep breath; _it was time._

"And that simple reason is; that I love you too, Steven."

Cynthia felt a heavy weight instantly leave her shoulders, as she finally admitted what she had been hiding, for quite a while, it seemed. Now she just waited for his reaction, but she didn't have to wait long, as she witnessed his eyes, instantly turn a brighter shade of blue, (if that was at all possible,) before a large, wide, sexy smile appeared over his face.

She couldn't admire his expression for long though, as he quickly tilted his head downwards, while using the hand on her cheek to raise hers, in order to place his lips firmly over hers. As soon as their lips fused together, the hand that was holding her cheek, returned to her waist to join its mate, as he pulled her up against him, deepening the kiss at the same time. Cynthia hummed against his lips, _note to self, this man was way too good with his mouth._

After endless moments of bliss, they eventually pulled apart again, both breathless, but extremely happy; _well I am, and I'm sure he feels the same._ Cynthia wasn't wrong in her assumptions, as she could see a little smile form on his lips, a smile that wasn't innocent in the slightest.

"Well, I'm so glad we managed to sort that out," he cheekily said, as his arms tightened around her waist again.

"Hmm…" she hummed in agreement. "By the way, I would like to point out, that I am still mildly upset with you, about those comments earlier."

He gave a little chuckle, as that playful smile morphed into a sexy little smirk.

"I know," he replied sexily, before lowering his head, in order to rein kisses along her neck.

 _Hmm…so good, he is too good at this, seriously._ She was well on her way to being lost in him again, however, her rational mind hadn't quite completely shut down yet, as it reminded her, that she was still slightly annoyed with him. He must have guessed she was, because this rather suave tactic; was an obvious ploy, used in order to try and distract her; which was working like a charm. Luckily, she was a strong willed person, _n_ _ote to self; this man is not above using his charms in order to try and distract me._

With that realization, she ran her hand into his disarrayed, steel coloured hair, and tugged lightly on said locks, in order to grab his attention.

When his head lifted, Cynthia had to restrain the urge to chuckle at the rather, disappointed gaze he bore, at being disrupted. But she restrained the feeling, as she still had something she wanted to say to him.

"I'm serious mind, you will have to make this up to me," she sternly stated.

However, her tone didn't seem to have the affect she was aiming for, as the disappointed expression in his eyes, morphed into something far warmer and sexier. Cynthia had to gulp slightly at that look he was now giving her, as his eyes, by this point, were now smouldering. She could feel herself slowly drowning into a sea of endless blue.

She mentally slapped herself, in order to try and snap herself out of her stupor; she hadn't quite finished yet; _c_ _urse his charms._

"And don't think that you can get around this by…mmpph"

The rest of her sentence was now garbled, due to his mouth now residing over hers, again; _d_ _amn, he had fast reflexes._ She should have seen it coming really, especially, as that sexy smirk had spread across his face once again, seconds before his eager mouth had claimed hers.

Cynthia could feel herself quickly losing the little bit of rationality that she had left. She sighed internally, _so much for admonishing him._ But, if she was being totally honest, she no longer cared, everything was right with the world now. She sighed, before finally surrendering to him.

 _Well what do you know? I guess I was jealous, well; we both were,_ Cynthia briefly thought, before Steven tightened his grip around her waist, as his tongue entangled with hers again.

 _Hmm…oh yes, definitely jealous!_

* * *

Beyond the doorway, unbeknownst to the pair, three figures could be seen observing their rather romantic exchange; all sporting wide smiles.

"Well, I have to say ladies, this looks to have been a rousing success."

"Indeed it has."

"Hmm…it appears so. And, if I do say so, it's about time, don't you think?"

"Oh yes!" Wallace replied, while flamboyantly twirling his hand round. "If I had to witness another look of disguised passion, I was going to tear my hair out."

Diantha gave a little chuckle.

"See? Didn't I tell you it would work?" she glanced at her cohorts, who both nodded in affirmation. She smirked. "A little jealousy can work wonders."

"Yes indeed, Diantha," Bertha replied, before taking a deep sigh. "Even though it was a risk, I firmly believe that it was necessary, even though, I don't usually condone these types of actions."

They all turned to observe the couple once again; who were still deeply entwined, oblivious to anything else around them.

"Well now, I think we can safely say; mission accomplished," Wallace retorted, quite jubilantly, as their attention returned to each other.

"Mission accomplished, indeed," Bertha agreed, with a humorous smile.

As they all gave a little chuckle, they were disrupted from their mirth, when they heard Cynthia give a little moan. They turned back towards the couple, only to observe Steven tightening his grip around her, before lowering them both to the leather sofa, mouth still firmly attached to hers.

The three of them glanced at each other; the message was clear, it was time to depart and leave them in peace.

Wallace reached out and slowly closed the door to the room, leaving the couple to continue in private; before he turned and rejoined Diantha and Bertha, who had already begun making their way back towards the conference hall.

The day had been a complete success. Now, they just had to go and thank everyone that had taken part in aiding in this little plot.

They three of them exchanged wide smiles as they reached the entrance to the conference hall, two words, ringing soundly through their minds.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

 **Mission accomplished indeed.**

 **I think jealousy can be a very powerful emotion. And I wanted to show it. Even though I don't like to see these two arguing, I think it was necessary in this particular story. And I did my best to keep them in character, during it all, so hopefully, I did that justice.**

 **And yes, the twist was, that everyone was more or less in on the plot, (including Riley, even though I had to make him slightly clueless) created by none other than our meddling threesome Wallace, Bertha and Diantha.**

 **Also, I know, technically Riley shouldn't have been there, but to me, he is a rather influential character in Sinnoh, so I felt that he should attend. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is my favourite male in Sinnoh. (No not at all..lol) But sorry, he still holds no candle to Steven though, sorry Riley.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Hopefully my next one, won't take as long as this one.**

 **Until next time everyone!**


	16. Secret Admirer

**Welcome back everyone once again!**

 **So, not too long of wait, but with me being back on late shifts starting next week, there might be a delay on future stories, but fear not, I'm not giving up. I have some part written, so it'll be just a case of finishing them.**

 **Now onto today's posting. Okay, this story, technically should be posted in about four months time, (as you read the story, you'll understand what I mean,) but...I couldn't wait to post it. Since it was complete, I thought; why not? Hopefully you guys will get some joy out of it.**

 **Plot wise, I think the title gives it away for you, but I don't really want to spoil it, so I will just say, that it's told from Cynthia's point of view, and it follows a timeline over a span of days...and that's all you are getting.**

 **A couple of guest appearances to mention in this one. They include the Sinnoh Elite Four, Volkner & Cynthia's grandmother and sister. **

**I'm rating this story T, but it's only as a precaution, I mean there maybe one or two little swear words, so I suppose I could get away with this being K+, but for safety, I will stick with a T rating.**

 **I will say, this story, officially takes the title at being the** **longest I've written!**

 _ **Cynthia's thoughts are in italic.**_

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

February 1st

The loud beeping of an alarm resounded throughout her bedroom.

Cynthia gave a wide yawn as her eyes flickered open, blinking slightly against the morning sunshine beaming in from behind the closed curtains. She gave another little yawn, before turning around, in order to shut off the incessant bleating of her pokegear alarm.

As the noise ceased, she groaned as she rubbed her tired eyes, _it feels like I only went to sleep five minutes ago._ As she opened her eyes again; that was when she caught sight of something out of the ordinary; lying atop of her bedside table; something that certainly hadn't been there last night.

Cynthia blinked a few times, just in case it was her tired imagination playing tricks on her, but no, there was no doubt about it, there, resting on her beside table, was a yellow rose, with a little note attached to its slender stem. To say she was confused, was an understatement, _what the…?_

As she raised herself up to lean against the headboard, she furrowed her brows at the rather mysterious gift, before reaching over to pick it up. As she leant back to rest comfortably against the headboard, she couldn't help the little intake of breath she made at the beauty of the gift.

The yellow petals were beautifully interwoven together, and as she reached out to stroke said petals, she realized that it wasn't actually a real rose, but a material one, and judging from the texture, it was something akin to silk. Even though it wasn't a real rose, it was still beautiful and elegant, and based on the quality of the rose, expensive.

Her attention was then drawn to the little note that was attached to its stem. Curious, she pulled it off, before lifting it up to read.

 **Yellow symbolizes friendship.**

Her eyes widened as she took in the words, before she flipped the note over, only to discover more on the reverse.

 **I truly cherish our friendship, and I am forever thankful, for the day that I met you. I am truly blessed to know you, and may our friendship continue, for many years to come.**

Cynthia could feel her face heat up in embarrassment at the rather sweet message; that was elegantly written there. She flipped the note over a few times, but there was no signature or name written anywhere on the note. She furrowed her brows slightly, at the rather elegant style of writing that adorned both sides of the card, _maybe I can guess who gave me this by their handwriting then._

However, unfortunately for her, her efforts seemed fruitless, as she took in the stylish calligraphy. She had to admit; it was quite beautiful, right down to the curves of the y's and the trails of the f's. But it was a style, that she couldn't quite place, something that she couldn't recall ever seeing before, from any of her acquaintances. It seemed, that whoever had written this note, had gone to extraordinary lengths, in order to try and hide their identity from her.

Cynthia gave a sigh as she continued to stare at her gifts. She was still slightly confused, as to why someone would have taken the time and gone through all this trouble, just to give her a rose; _that's not to say I'm not appreciative of it, far from it._

She glanced towards her pokegear; that still resided on her bedside table, to observe the date. As she caught sight of it, her eyes widened, as something seemed to click inside her mind; o _f course, it's February, the one month of the year that had a very sentimental day attached to it; Valentines Day._ It seemed highly plausible, that her theory was indeed correct, as something like this, would certainly be considered as something that somebody would do, for that specific day.

Cynthia couldn't help but furrow her brows again; she had to admit though, she was slightly confused by it, as Valentines Day was still technically a fortnight away. It seemed, that whoever had planted this rather generous gift, was extremely early, _but why?_

She shook her head in order to clear away her musings. Regardless of her curiosity, there seemed to be no point in dwelling on the matter any longer, as it was quite obvious, that she wasn't going to solve this mystery any time soon. As much as she would love to have spent the day trying to, unfortunately, she had work to do.

With that in mind, Cynthia leant forward, as she pulled open her bedside draw, in order to deposit the note inside, away from prying eyes. Once completed, she closed it, before slinging off her duvet and getting to her feet. As she was finally vertical, she gave a little stretch, before heading off in search of a vase.

Once located, she placed it on her bedside table, before depositing the rose into said vase. She took a step back admiring it, before a little smile flittered across her face. She had to admit, even though she had no idea who had given this to her, she couldn't deny, that it had brightened up the day for her.

 _And on that note,_ Cynthia whirled around and headed towards her wardrobe, in order to prepare for the busy day ahead.

* * *

February 2nd

Cynthia gave a little sigh, as she made her way through the aisles within the Canalave Library. She finally had a day off at last. It seemed that the last month had just been one thing after another; but today, she was more than eager to just get back into her research.

As Cynthia finally made her way into the historical section, she casted her eyes over the titles, before she spotted the one that she had been looking for, 'The Mystery of Mt. Coronet.' As she reached out to pull the book off the shelf, something inadvertently came with it, something that obviously, wasn't meant to have been there.

Curious, she glanced down to the floor, to where the object had landed. After finally spotting said object, Cynthia had to do a double take, because there, by her feet, lay an orange coloured rose, with a note attached to its stem. Her eyes widened in surprise, _what the…?_

Placing the book back onto the shelf, she bent down to pick up said rose. Upon examining it, she instantly discovered, that it was remarkably similar to the one she had found on her bedside table yesterday morning. Although, there was of course a difference, as this one was orange in colour, instead of yellow. Also, if she had to take an educated guess, she was sure that the attached note was probably different too. However, one thing was for certain, it was definitely the same person who had planted them.

Cynthia quickly glanced around, to see if she could spot the culprit lurking around anywhere. Unfortunately, her effort seemed pointless; as there didn't seem to be anyone else in the section she was in, or near her section at all. She sighed; _well, it was worth a shot._

After that rather unsuccessful attempt, Cynthia lowered her gaze back down towards the orange rose. It seemed that someone, was going to an awful lot of trouble, in order to grab her attention. She sighed again, _well since they have, I might as well play along._

She slowly removed the note from the stem, before lifting it closer to her, so she could read the inscription.

 **Orange symbolizes fascination and enthusiasm.**

She flipped the card over, and just as she had predicted, there was a different message written on the back.

 **I'm enthralled with the fascination that you have with the world around you, and I am enamoured with the enthusiasm you show, in everything you do.**

Cynthia could feel a little blush form on her face. Just as she had expected, the note was very similar to the one she had received yesterday, but this one was more relevant, to the meaning of that specific colour. A little smile broke out over her lips, _well; I can't fault the writer's ingenuity, they certainly have done their research._

As Cynthia turned and reached for the book again, one thing still bothered her slightly about this, _how does this person know where I am? And how'd they know; that I'd pick that specific book?_

* * *

February 7th

Cynthia shook her head in bewilderment as she observed the vase in front of her; that was gradually filling up. She reached out to stroke the material petals, of one of the coloured roses that resided in there.

It had been a week, since she had begun receiving these beautiful gifts; and her collection now consisted of seven roses, all sporting different colours; yellow, orange, blue, green, gold, cream and now, white.

Thinking back on today's gift, she had found it, tucked loosely inside the pocket of her jacket; that had been hanging on the front of her wardrobe door. The pure white petals of the rose, had contrasted greatly against the black of her jacket, making it stand out.

On discovering it, Cynthia had been stunned, if not a little hesitant; as this was the third time; that she'd found one strategically placed within her bedroom, _how does this person keep getting into my room without me noticing them?_

However, regardless of her slight hesitancy, she'd still been intrigued nonetheless. So, she had removed the rose from her jacket, detached the note, before placing said gift, next to its partners.

Cynthia gave a little smile, as she remembered the inscription she'd encountered on the note.

 **White symbolizes purity and innocence.**

 **I admire your innocence to the world around you, and your pure spirit, which is truly beautiful, a wondrous sight to behold.**

She couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed; such beautiful words, and they were all aimed at her. She never was one for taking praise or receiving compliments, but regardless, it seemed that someone, was bravely willing to risk it, even if they did have a rather unusual way of doing so.

She sighed gently, as she leant forward to open her bedside draw, in order to remove the notes that she had received from previous roses. Just like the roses, each written note, had been just as beautiful as the next.

However, as the days had gone on, she couldn't help but think; that the messages were becoming emotionally deeper. When considering the first two notes, they had been pretty light hearted, as they could have been perceived as being something, someone would say to a close friend. Although, these newer ones; seemed to be delving deeper into more meaningful feelings.

Cynthia began glancing through the notes.

 **Blue symbolizes mystery and the impossible.**

 **Nothing is impossible with you, but you are impossible to everyone else. You are an enigma, a puzzle, one; that no one could ever hope to solve. But I wouldn't have you any other way, because I like a challenge.**

 **…**

 **Green symbolizes growth.**

 **There's no denying that you have blossomed into a wonderful person. You have evolved greatly, just like a pokemon. Not only have you grown as a person, but in my affections as well.**

 **…**

 **Gold symbolizes elegance.**

 **The way you dress, the way you move, the way you talk, your manners and personality, all scream elegance. You don't need to do anything to draw my attention; you already take my breath away, by just being yourself.**

 **…**

 **Cream symbolizes charm and thoughtfulness.**

 **A potent combination; that you pull off with ease, as you always consider others before yourself, and it's this tenacity to help others; that aspires me to become a better person, a person more deserving of your time.**

 **…**

After re-reading them again, Cynthia couldn't help the blush that heated up her face. (Even though she'd read them already, they still could make her blush like a petty little schoolgirl.) But there was no doubt about it, she had to agree with her earlier assessment; the writer of these, definitely had feelings for her, feelings that seemed to have delved way beyond platonic.

Cynthia furrowed her brows in thought; it had to be someone she knew, someone who was more than just a passing acquaintance, because these notes, seemed to follow a tangent, as if they were supposed to go in a certain order, like a timeline; a timeline it seemed, of the developing feeling's of the writer as they got to know her. She shook her head in absurdity; _maybe I'm just over analyzing things._

One thing was for certain though, whoever it was, had put a lot of time and effort into this whole thing; from delivering the roses and not getting caught, to determining what each rose symbolized; to writing the beautiful heartfelt messages and then disguising their handwriting; all had been planned to perfection.

In theory, she should be slightly concerned that she had a secret admirer; and one that seemed to know her routine rather well, if the location of where she had found all these roses was any indication. However, if she was completely honest with herself, she wasn't as concerned as she should've been. If anything, she felt flattered, because without her even realizing it, she had actually won someone's affection.

Cynthia sighed contently, as she returned her gaze to her beautiful collection. She could feel the warmth flood through her again as she gazed at the coloured roses, before feeling a serene smile spread across her face.

One thing was for certain; (even though she wouldn't admit it to anyone,) she was actually enjoying this mysterious admirer's affections and attention.

* * *

February 8th

"Damn Cynthia, you're getting stronger every time I battle you," Aaron stated, as he gave a little chuckle, before returning his feinted Drapion to its pokeball. "I'm never going to beat you."

Cynthia gave a little chuckle as well, as she recalled her Garchomp.

"Sorry Aaron, but I do have a reputation to uphold and all that," she said, before giving a little smile in his direction. "If it's any consolation, you are getting stronger. I dare say, challengers are going to really struggle, trying to get past you."

"Well coming from you, that is high praise indeed."

With a brief appreciative smile, Aaron then turned and headed towards the row of benches, situated near the entrance of the training ground.

Just as he reached said benches, he seemed to pause rather suddenly, before clicking his fingers together.

"Oh! Before I forget, I have something for you," he exclaimed, before leaning down and rummaging through his bag, (which had been dumped on the bench earlier,) frantically trying to locate something. "Now where is it…I know it's in here somewhere…"

Cynthia raised her eyebrow curiously at his actions, as she gradually made her way over to him.

"Aaron?"

"Hang on a minute…where are you…I've got to give it to you or… ah ha, found you!"

Cynthia couldn't help but shake her head in amusement, at the rather enthusiastic cheer he gave; _he was such a child sometimes._ She was brought out of her thoughts, when Aaron finally straightened and whirled around towards her, sporting a rather bright smile; and holding out an object in front of him, the one he obviously wanted her to have.

However, once Cynthia caught sight of the object, she instantly turned bright red, as her amusement at the situation quickly evaporated. _Oh no…_ She could feel the embarrassment and mortification flood through her, as she took in the sight in front of her. For Aaron, was standing there, holding out a peach coloured rose, complete with attached note, the exact same type of gift, she had been receiving for the past week. _This is bad…real bad._

He was obviously expecting her to take it, but she just couldn't seem to find it within her to accept it, because accepting it, would mean acknowledging his affections. Even though she'd accepted the ones beforehand, she'd done it on blind faith, _but accepting this one…_

Cynthia internally groaned, at the way he was still standing there with a little smile on his face. _I have to tell him that I can't accept, even if it hurts him, as I just don't like him, in that sort of a way._ She cleared her throat.

"Uh…Aaron…I really…I really…cannot…" she managed to stutter out, while internally cursing herself, for the weak attempt she was making at trying to decline his offer.

She could see Aaron give her a rather confused look, at her rather feeble attempt at trying to form a sentence. She mentally slapped herself, before trying once again.

"Aaron…you're a great work colleague, but I just cannot…I mean, I don't…"

But she didn't even need to finish her sentence, as she could see the realization finally flash through his eyes. He instantly turned bright red.

"Oh hell!" Aaron exclaimed, as his blush seemed to deepen. "Cynthia this is not…it's not…I was given…"

It was Cynthia's turn to be confused, as she raised a sceptical eyebrow, at the way Aaron seemed to be frantically running his free hand through his hair, while he valiantly attempted to piece together some form of explanation.

"You've got it all wrong!" he exclaimed. "I mean…it's not from me…I swear… I swear on my life!"

At observing his rather flustered and panicked expression, Cynthia was now actually inclined to believe him; _perhaps he isn't the sender?_ _And maybe, this is just one giant misunderstanding on my part._ She was actually hoping that this was the case.

Aaron ran his hand down his face in frustration, before taking a deep breath.

"Honestly Cynthia…what I'm trying to say, rather unsuccessfully it seems…is that…this is certainly not from me!" He gave a heavy sigh. "No offence Cynthia, I think you're a great person, a good friend and work colleague, but I really don't think of you like that…I mean, that's not to say you are bad looking…" but he trailed off as the blush reappeared over his face.

Cynthia didn't even need him to finish his sentence; she knew exactly what he meant, because she felt the same. She couldn't help but feel relieved.

"It's okay Aaron, I get it," she replied, before giving a little sheepish smile. "And truth be told, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel exactly the same about you, as you do for me."

She could see him physically deflate, before he gave a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank heavens we've come to that understanding," he commented, before giving a nervous little chuckle. "Well, got to admit though, that was embarrassing to say the least."

With that comment, they both glanced at each other, before bursting into laughter at the ridiculous scenario that had just played out; the tension had now been broken. It was amazing how one little thing could cause a mass misunderstanding. Cynthia gave a little shake of her head, _speaking of..._

"Uh, Aaron?" she asked, as her mirth began to subside. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you have…" she trailed off, as she nodded her head in the direction of the rose, that he was still holding.

Aaron followed her indications, before a knowing look flashed across his features.

"Oh…right," he replied, before clicking his fingers together. "Well, I was actually entrusted by someone, to actually give this to you, on this specific day."

Cynthia's eyebrows rose on hearing that piece of information. It seemed that her admirer, was now using people close to her, in order to distribute these little gifts.

"And before you ask, I'm sorry, I'm sworn to the highest secrecy," Aaron cut through her thoughts, before giving a little chuckle, and then holding the rose out for her to take.

She couldn't help but give a little snort, as she reached out to take the rose, _of course he was._ It was pretty obvious that this person; wasn't going to make it easy for her.

As she now held the rose in her hand, she couldn't help but smooth her fingers through the silky petals, as she became lost in thought. She had to give her admirer some credit, because whoever he was, he had gall. Not only was he bold enough to put these gifts in obvious places, he was now using acquaintances of hers, as a delivery service, and on this occasion, not just anyone either, but an actual Elite Four member. _No doubt about it, my admirer is brave, to say the least._

"I will say one thing though Cynthia," Aaron stated, catching her attention once again. "If I was vying for your affections, I wouldn't have stood a chance against this guy."

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little chuckle at that, before a thankful smile appeared over her face.

"Thanks Aaron."

He flushed slightly.

"Uh…not a problem, " he answered, before clearing his throat slightly. "Well, I should probably…" Aaron jerked his thumb in the direction of the doors. "Uh…I'm just going to…later Cynthia." And with that, the bug specialist turned, grabbed his discarded bag, and then hightailed it out of the training ground.

Cynthia couldn't help but give another little chuckle at the guy's hasty retreat, _the poor boy, probably still felt slightly mortified at what had just happened._

As the door to the training ground finally slammed closed, she returned her attention to the beautiful pale coloured rose she held. She gave a content sigh, before detaching the note. She glanced at the front.

 **Peach symbolizes appreciation.**

She flipped the note over.

 **You deserve the highest appreciation for everything that you do, not just for your region, your friends, but for me as well. You have made me a better person, just by knowing you, and I will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done, but I will never stop appreciating you, ever.**

Cynthia could feel herself melt inside; the message was just as perfect as all the others. One thing was for certain though, _whoever this person was, they sure had a way with words._ She gave a content sigh, _another day, another rose and note, but I'm still nowhere near close enough, to identifying who this person is._

However, there was one thing that she had managed to deduce from this entire exchange. Her admirer, was definitely someone who was full of confidence, and it had to be someone, who was also quite influential in some way, because how else, would they be able to get someone like Aaron, to carry out a task like this? _But who would have the confidence to pull this off?_ _A fellow league member perhaps?_

Cynthia furrowed her brows thoughtfully, she was having trouble thinking at the moment, but regardless, _it was a good place to start._

* * *

February 9th

Cynthia took a left, as she headed towards the edge of the Resort Area. Just as she was about to call out Garchomp to take her home, she heard her name being called out rather loudly from behind her.

At the call, she whirled around, only to come face to face with the 'douchebag duo.' Cynthia snorted internally; _she had to thank Byron at some point, for coming up with that rather ridiculous nickname, as it had provided endless hours of amusement for both her and her fellow league colleagues._

"Flint, Volkner," she greeted them, with a nod of her head.

"Cynthia," Volkner greeted, with a reciprocating nod.

"Hey champ," Flint replied, while giving her a little wave. "Glad we caught you."

Cynthia tilted her head questioningly. "Is there something I can help you with, gents?"

They both glanced at each other, before Volkner cleared his throat.

"Well, as a matter of fact, Flint here; has something that he's supposed to give you." He slapped the fire trainer on the back. "I'm just here for the sheer fun of it."

"Geez, thanks for the moral support man," Flint replied, sarcastically.

Volkner gave a little smirk in Flint's direction.

"You're welcome."

Flint huffed, as he rolled his eyes in annoyance, before returning his attention to her.

Cynthia raised her eyebrows curiously at the men in front of her; _seriously,_ _they are like two adolescent children._

"So champ, like idiot features here said…" Flint stated, with a tilt of his head in the gym leader's direction. Volkner shot him a blank look, but the Elite Four member completely ignored him. "I actually have something here, that I'm supposed to give you." And with that, the fire trainer pulled something out from his back pocket, before holding it out towards her.

She froze, as she took in the sight of the pink rose, complete with attached note; that the fire trainer was holding. She couldn't help the little flush that spread across her cheeks, as she continued to stare at it; _another day, another gift, and again, presented through a member of the Elite Four. This person has real gumption; I'll give them that._

At her lack of movement, Flint nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"Uh…champ? No rush or anything, but can you take this off me now, please? Before anyone sees and gets the wrong impression."

Flint's comments snapped Cynthia out of her thoughts; however, a rather amused smile broke out across her features, as she took in the rather prominent blush, and rather embarrassed demeanour Flint was now sporting. It seemed; she wasn't the only one that thought it was amusing, as she witnessed Volkner burst into fits of laughter.

"Oh my days Flint, you look like a giant tomato!" the gym leader managed to stutter out, between fits of laughter.

Flint's blush only seemed to deepen.

"Shut it Sparky! I'd like to see you try and have the balls to do this!"

However, his cry of outrage went completely ignored, as Volkner continued to laugh.

Cynthia couldn't help the little chuckle that erupted from within her. It wasn't everyday that she got to see Flint this way, as it was usually the other way around, Flint laughing at someone else's embarrassment.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Flint exclaimed, as he ran his hand down his face in irritation.

At his rather loud, frustrated exclamation, Cynthia decided to finally take some sort of pity on him, as she reached forward and finally plucked the rose from his hand.

"Well, we can't have that Flint, can we? What would happen to your reputation?"

As the object was finally removed from his grasp, Flint seemed to visibly relax, as he gave a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, yeah…I get it. Glad I could be some sort of amusement for you."

"Well, it's not as if his reputation is worth protecting anyway," Volkner piped up, his mirth seeming to have subsided.

Flint narrowed his eyes into a glare.

"Oh yeah, you're a fine one to talk. You are such a …"

But Cynthia managed to tune out the rest of their argument, as her attention focussed on her new gift. Just like all the other ones before it, this one was just as beautiful. She inwardly sighed, as she removed the note from the stem and began to read.

 **Pink symbolizes happiness.**

She flipped the note over; she wasn't disappointed.

 **You have been a ray of sunshine to me, lighting up my life and making everything seem better and brighter. I never knew what real happiness was, until I met you, and I hope I get the chance to repay you one day, for this happiness you have brought me.**

A serene smile touched her lips, as she felt a wave of happiness flow through her. She never knew, or would even have guessed; that she could make someone feel this way. The thought just seemed to amaze her.

Suddenly, she was rudely brought out of her thoughts by a clearing of a throat. When she glanced up, she was greeted by two rather smug smirks. It seemed, that sometime during her daydreaming, the two had stopped bickering, and where now content to simply be amused by her rather dreamlike state.

She shook her head slightly, as she gave a little cough, in order to disguise her embarrassment at being caught.

"Thank you Flint, I really do appreciate you playing along with this," Cynthia thanked the Elite Four member, giving him a rather appreciative smile. "To be honest though, I'm surprised that you actually remembered, no offence intended of course."

She could see Volkner give a little snort, as Flint sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"None taken champ," he replied, before running a hand through his wild hair. "To be perfectly honest though, I only remembered, because I had very strict instructions to make sure you received this today, otherwise, and to quote, 'I'd be in very serious trouble.'"

Volkner snorted again, before Flint shot him a glare.

"What's so funny Volkner?"

The gym leader shook his head in amusement.

"It's just the thought of you being afraid that's hilarious, especially; if you consider who actually gave you that warning."

Cynthia couldn't help but let a little amused smile break out across her face, at the unimpressed and rather insulted look Flint was shooting the gym leader.

"You kidding me? I'm not afraid of anyone!" Flint exclaimed in outrage. "The only reason I'm doing this, is because I'm sure that that guy has contacts; that could potentially make my life hell if I don't follow through. I mean, what with him being who is and all; add to the fact that he is rather well…OW!" Flint cried out in pain, as he received a very hard punch to his right arm. He glared at the gym leader once again. "What the hell was that for man?"

"I was saving your ass man. I was shutting you up, before you give away his identity!" Volkner exclaimed, before slinging his arm around the irate fire trainer. "If I hadn't stopped you pal, then you would definitely have had to go into hiding."

Flint grimaced.

"I wouldn't! What part of, I'm not afraid…"

"Deny it all you want mate, you're afraid!"

"Damn you Volkner, for the last time…"

But Cynthia tuned out the bickering between the pair, as she mindlessly twirled the rose between her fingers. Obviously, Flint had almost given the secret away; _if it weren't for Volkner interfering, he probably would have blurted it out._

Cynthia sighed; she couldn't help but feel disappointed, but also slightly relieved, that he hadn't revealed the sender. As much as she would love to have known the identity of her admirer, she actually wanted to figure it out for herself. They had obviously gone to great lengths in order to pull off something like this, so she felt it was only fair, that she should reciprocate their efforts, by trying to figure out who it was, by herself.

Although, she had to admit, this little encounter had actually aided her greatly, in trying to discover the identity of her mysterious admirer, as it had drastically, narrowed down the list of candidates in her opinion; _and I owe it all to Flint._

Usually, Flint didn't give a damn when it came to others, but judging by his attitude today, it was clear; that someone of great influence had given these instructions, and as much as Flint tried to deny it, whoever had entrusted him to deliver this rose, was someone that Flint felt; not so much afraid of; but weary of.

Cynthia smirked as she filed away this little piece of knowledge. This was actually, the biggest clue she had gotten so far; and an important one as well. She hummed to herself; _I'm finally getting somewhere._

* * *

February 10th

Cynthia groaned as she ran her hand over her forehead, it had been a trying day to say the least. She was tired and she was achy; all she wanted to do now, was curl up with a good book in peace and solitude.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the door to the study room; _I've so been looking forward to this._ As she opened the door and stepped inside, that is when she caught sight of Lucian, sat in one of the armchairs, head buried inside a novel. She couldn't help but give a little snort at that, she couldn't say she was surprised at all to find him in here; the man was a bigger bookworm than she was.

Upon hearing the door opening, Lucian finally seemed to extract himself from the novel, and glance in her direction.

"Good evening, Cynthia," he greeted her, with a slight nod of his head, before his attention returned to the book he was reading.

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little amused smile at his reaction, _same old Lucian._

"Good evening to you too, Lucian," she greeted in return, before closing the door behind her, then making her way further into the study, heading towards the bookshelf on the far wall.

As she was just about to pass Lucian, she glanced towards the psychic master, but as she did, she couldn't help but catch sight of something that looked highly out of place, resting on the side table next to him. She froze as she realized what it was. Her eyes zeroed in on the object like a searing lens, because there, resting on the table in all its glory, lay a beautiful, lavender coloured rose, complete with its customary note.

Cynthia couldn't seem to remove her gaze from it. Even though it was anticipated, that still didn't seem to stop it from surprising the hell out of her; _another day, another rose._ She mentally slapped herself, as she inwardly berated herself at her astonishment at seeing the gift. She shouldn't have felt this shock really, as she'd been expecting it after all; _and if I'm totally honest with myself, I've been looking forward to it._

However, it seemed that her inept lack of movement wasn't missed, as her frozen state was finally thawed, when she heard a little cough. She managed to tear her gaze off the rose, only to encounter Lucian's steady gaze. It seemed, sometime during her rather incapacitated state, Lucian had finally closed the book he was reading, and was now sat there, giving her a rather impassive, but knowing look.

Lucian pushed up his glasses; that had slid down his nose slightly.

"I heard that you have received one of these from both Aaron and Flint already," Lucian stated, before tilting his head towards the rose on the little table. "Rest assured Cynthia, I was only instructed to hand this to you today. I'm just following orders, like the others before me."

Lucian rose from his chair, turning slightly, in order to lean over and pick up the rose, before swivelling back to face her.

At this movement, Cynthia managed to finally shake herself out her stupor, as a grateful little smile spread across her lips, before she reached out to take the rose from him. Once securely in her possession, Lucian retracted his hand, before giving a small smile.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts," he said, before bowing his head slightly at her. "If you will excuse me." With that, he turned around and strode out of the study, quietly closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Cynthia found herself collapsing onto the leather sofa behind her, giving a heavy, but content sigh. She didn't exactly know why she seemed so surprised; it wasn't like it wasn't expected. However, with the day she had just had, embarrassingly enough, it was something that had slipped her mind. She shook her head slightly, in order to shake herself out of her embarrassment; _it doesn't matter now._

With that in mind, she raised the rose towards her, admiring the lavender petals. She had to admit, she'd never seen one this colour before, and it fascinated her. The colour reminded her of something, but she couldn't quite place it. She gave another little shake of her head, _I'm sure it will come back to me._

With another sigh, she finally glanced towards the note attached to the stem, before slowly removing it and bringing it closer to read.

 **Lavender symbolizes enchantment.**

She flipped the note over.

 **Every time I am with you, you enchant me. Your stunning beauty ensnares me, as your mind entraps me. I'm under your spell, and I, in no way, want to be released.**

Cynthia could feel her heart give a heavy thump at the words; such beautiful words, that she felt highly unworthy of. However, whoever had wrote these notes, obviously thought differently.

Although, there was one thing that she could deduce from all this, was that it was obviously someone, who she had spent time with, which in retrospect, didn't help her in the grand scheme of things, as that could still be potentially anyone. Although, she could ascertain for certain, that it was definitely someone, who had spent a lot of time around her, rather than just as a passing acquaintance.

She gave another content sigh, before rising from the sofa, _one thing, at least this brightened up my day for the better._

However, as she made her way to the bookshelf, she couldn't help think, that that was three members of the Elite Four that her admirer had used for their little scheme, which now, in retrospect, only left one to go. She couldn't help the smile that flittered across her face at the thought.

 _Roll on tomorrow!_

* * *

February 11th 

Cynthia gave a heavy sigh as she took another sip of her tea. It was nearly ten in the evening, and she still hadn't received anything, yet. She refused to admit that she was sullen; but there was no denying; that she felt slightly disappointed. She'd been actually looking forward to today's gift.

However, what made matters worse, was that Bertha hadn't been seen all day. According to Lucian, who Cynthia had run into earlier, he had said that she'd been called away on an errand, and that she wouldn't be back until late. This meant; that if the elder was indeed part of the plot; then it was likely that she may not be receiving a gift today.

Although, if Cynthia thought about it rationally, there was still technically three days to go yet, so perhaps she'd been mistaken? Maybe she was supposed to find one somewhere else today, rather than receive one? She shook her head in denial, _no,_ _I was supposed to be given one today, I just know it._

Even though it sounded quite ludicrous in some respects, that she could be certain about such things, but somehow, she just knew; that she was supposed to be given one today. One, she'd have found her gift by now and two, the gift giving followed a pattern, and the sender was anything, if not meticulous in the way they had sent them, so, to not receive one from the missing Elite Four member today, would sort of break the pattern, which to her, seemed highly unlikely.

She gave another heavy sigh.

"Ah, good evening Cynthia. You're up late dear child, is something troubling you?"

She stiffened at the voice that came from the side of her, before whipping her head around to observe Bertha, standing just inside the entrance to the kitchen, sporting a rather concerned expression, _ah speak of the devil._

"Ah, good evening Bertha," she replied, before giving a little smile. "No, everything is fine. I just don't seem to be tired yet, so I thought I'd make myself some tea."

The elder raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Are you sure, dear? As you looked rather lost in thought, and rather deep thoughts from the looks of it."

Cynthia mentally cursed herself at her sullen expression. Under no circumstances, did she want Bertha to be concerned, because then she'd start asking questions. That was something that she could do without, because let's face it, how could she tell her; that she was depressed because she hadn't received a certain gift today? And that it was because of her? No, she couldn't say that, it would make her sound insane, and for all she knew, Bertha knew nothing about it, if judging from the expression she bore was anything to go by.

She gave herself a mental slap; dwelling on it was only going to make the situation worse. So, she plastered a reassuring smile onto her face, in order to appease the elder.

"I assure you Bertha, everything is fine."

"Well, if you are sure," Bertha replied, even though her tone clearly suggested that she wasn't convinced.

"Yes, quite sure. It's just been a long day, that's all."

The elder gave a little nod in understanding.

"It has indeed been a long day, and I dare say, I'm not used to all this gadding about anymore, believe me," Bertha replied with a slight chuckle, before covering her mouth as a little yawn broke loose. "Oh, excuse me. I think on that note, I better retire for the evening. Good night Cynthia."

Cynthia could feel her heart sink again, as the elder turned and began heading for the doorway. She sighed, as her eyes lowered to stare into her half empty cup, _I was so sure that Bertha would have something, but now…_

But her thoughts were cut off by the elder's voice.

"Oh, by the way dear," Bertha stated, as she turned her head to regard her once again.

Cynthia raised her gaze, only to see the rather noticeable smirk that had spread across the elder's face, one, that made her shuffle a little nervously in her seat.

"I was entrusted, into giving this to you today, by a very, handsome young man," the elder stated, before turning again, to face her fully.

Cynthia couldn't stop her eyes from widening, nor could she stop the slight blush that rose to her cheeks, at both the elder's rather smug expression, and at the burgundy coloured rose, she was now holding out in front of her.

"He told me that you would recognize what this is, and that you would be expecting this today."

Cynthia couldn't believe it, she'd been right all along, even though she had almost given up hope. Bertha, the devious elder that she was, had been making her wait, _the sly old coot._

"I knew you'd be in on it!"

However, the elder looked completely unapologetic or perturbed by her exclamation, as she just continued to smirk at her.

"Well, you know what they say dear child, patience is a virtue," the elder stated, with a hint of amusement laced within her tone.

Cynthia couldn't help but glare at her slightly, before averting her eyes to her cup again and releasing a sigh of amusement, she should have known, not to expect anything less form the elder. With a little chuckle, she raised her gaze back to Bertha, just as she rose from her chair and made her way over to her.

As she took the rose from Bertha's hand, she couldn't help but give the Elite Four member a thankful smile.

"Thank you Bertha."

The elder gave her a warm smile in return.

"You are welcome child," she replied, before her lip curled slightly. "And besides, the dashing young man asked so nicely; I couldn't exactly decline."

With that comment, they both burst into laughter, before another little yawn escaped the elder.

"Well, I think it is about time; that I do retire this time. If you will excuse me dear, some of us do actually need our beauty sleep."

And on that note, the elder turned and made her way out of the kitchen, leaving Cynthia staring, rather dreamily at the rose. The dark petals were beautifully interwoven just like those before it, and she was intrigued by the way that the colour contrasted greatly against the pale skin of her hand.

She gave a content sigh, before detaching the note; she was beyond intrigued to hear what this one said.

 **Burgundy symbolizes unconscious beauty.**

She couldn't stop the heat that rose to her cheeks as she read that. She flipped the note over.

 **You are beautiful; not just in physical beauty, but inner beauty too. And the best part, you are completely oblivious. I'm drawn to that fire inside you; that can tame even the stubborn of dragons, not just in pokemon form. You do not see yourself as a deity, but you are an epitome of a goddess to me.**

Cynthia couldn't help the blush from deepening in her cheeks at the beautiful words. The note was indeed correct, she never would have considered herself to be a deity or anything along those lines, far from it.

She couldn't deny that in the past, many had commented on the way she had looked, but no one had ever referenced her personality as being beautiful, or her 'inner fire,' as the note had suggested. That was just who she was, she was used to fighting back in a… _hang on a minute…_ She froze, as something seemed to register in her mind.

She glanced at the note again. There was something niggling her about this specific note, as if there was a hidden underlining message in it, and it definitely had something to do with the line about the dragons.

When she had first read it, she had immediately thought of her Garchomp, and then her mind flicked towards the possible creation trio; that she had helped take down on that one occasion, with the help of those youngsters. However, the note had said, 'not just pokemon.' So with regards to that, it left only one possibility, it was obviously referring to a pokemon trainer, who used dragons.

Off the top of her head, the only real dragon trainer, that she had any sort of frequent contact with would be Lance. She couldn't deny; that the champion of both Johto and Kanto, could be a rather pig-headed and stubborn man when he wanted to be, and there had been a number of occasions where she could recount; that she had had to knock some sense into him, so to say. And now that she thought about it, there were only a handful of people; that she could recall; that had ever seen her take Lance down a peg or two.

Cynthia couldn't help the look of triumph that flashed across her face at this discovery. In her eyes, this vital piece of information had now, drastically knocked down the possible number of candidates. If she had worked this out correctly, that left only a very select few people, _well two, or possibly three, depending on what Bertha classified as young and handsome._

Cynthia couldn't help the slight spring in her step, as she began to make her way out of the kitchen, twirling the rose between her fingers as she went, _although, if anyone catches me like this, I'd be mortified._

However, nothing could put a damper on her good mood at the moment, with only three days to go, she was that much closer towards finally discovering her admirer's identity. She smiled as she considered the remaining candidates.

If she was completely honest with herself though, out of those potential three, there was only one of them; she was hoping it would be.

* * *

February 12th

Cynthia twirled the rose between her fingers; mesmerized by the way that the red and yellow of its petals seemed to blend together with the movement.

She'd been curious as to how she was going to receive this one today, since her admirer had used all of the Sinnoh Elite Four already. However, her curiosity was appeased, when she had returned from her league commitments, only to find her gift, lying delicately on her pillow.

Cynthia gave a little chuckle, as she twirled the rose once again, _I_ _really have to start locking my bedroom door; I'm making it far too easy for them._ With that thought, she leant forward and placed her new rose into her vase, alongside the others; before reaching for the note that she had placed on the table earlier.

She couldn't deny; that she was actually quite excited to read this one. This note; could be the final clue she needed. She raised the note up.

 **Yellow with red tips symbolizes falling in love.**

She took in a deep breath as her heartbeat quickened. She was almost hesitant to turn it over, but then she chastised herself for being so, _I've come this far._

She flipped the note over.

 **What can I say? I have been falling for you since the day we met. The times that I have spent with you; have been the best moments of my life. I never would have imagined; that I'd find someone as amazing as you. It's uncanny, but I never would have dreamed I'd find someone who was similar to me in every way, but I'm so glad I have.**

Cynthia finally released the breath she'd been holding, as a serene smile broke out across her lips. It all began to click inside her mind, there was no doubt about it now, it couldn't be anyone else; _it has to be him; it simply couldn't be anyone else._

She gave a content sigh, before lying back on her bed. As she stared at the ceiling above her, she couldn't help but think about all the clues and subtle hints; that all just now seemed to connect together, like pieces of a jigsaw… _Influential, yes; had a way with words, yes; had the means and opportunity, yes; intelligent and elegant in his own way, yes; was close to her, yes; young and handsome, hell yes._

She read the note again, what he had said on there was all true, they were close, and had been ever since the day they had met. Originally, they had bonded over their titles, but then those bonds had only deepened, when they'd discovered their interests ran along similar paths. It was uncanny, but their personalities just seemed to gel.

Cynthia gave a little outward chuckle at herself, _I should have known, or at least guessed earlier._ How she hadn't, made the situation even more hilarious, _I can't believe I was that dense._ But to be fair, she'd never thought he would do something like this, because usually, he wasn't this bold when it came to expressing emotions; but then again, she shouldn't have underestimated him, the man tended to be full of surprises.

Regardless of how long it took her to figure it out, there was no denying, that it pleased her greatly to know; that it was indeed the one person, she had desperately wanted it to be all along. Cynthia gave another content little sigh.

Now she was most intrigued to see how he planned to finish off his little plan.

* * *

February 13th (Valentines Eve)

Cynthia recalled Garchomp, before making her way up the front path towards her grandmother's house. Usually, she would have been making this journey tomorrow, as it was customary for her to fly over on the 14th itself, in order to spend time with her grandmother and sister, as a sort of Valentines tradition.

However, she'd received a phone call from her grandmother this morning, asking whether she could visit today instead. She'd been slightly confused at first, but then slightly suspicious, as to why her grandmother had insisted upon her coming today, instead of on the actual holiday, like every previous year.

But then again, she couldn't have been thankful enough for her grandmother moving the date, because, this year, she obviously had something more to consider, or rather, someone else to consider; and if she knew the man in question, he obviously had something planned for tomorrow.

She couldn't help the bright smile that lit up her face at the thought. She hadn't seen him since the Christmas party, what with his own duties detaining him in his own region, but she couldn't deny; that she was most intrigued, if not excited, to see what tomorrow was going to bring.

"Grandmother, I'm here," she called out, as she finally entered through the front door of the small house.

"Hey sis," her sister called out to her, as she came bounding down the stairs, at the same time her grandmother strolled in from the kitchen.

"Oh, hello dear, glad you could make it," she began, before leaning in to hug her. "I hope you don't mind me changing the date at short notice. You see, I just remembered there's something very important that I need to do tomorrow. So I thought, instead of postponing, I thought we might as well have it a day earlier instead."

When she pulled back from the hug, Cynthia didn't fail to notice the smirk that her sister was giving her. It seemed that, she was also aware of the fact, that their grandmother was obviously lying.

Cynthia wasn't exactly blind to notice that something was obviously going on, as her grandmother was pretty traditional when it came to certain things, such as holidays, so to suddenly bring the celebrations a day forward, was highly unusual. She concluded; that this could only mean one thing, they were both also involved in this little scheme.

She gave an inward chuckle. She had to give him credit, he'd only met her grandmother and sister once, and that was by pure coincidence. So, to convince them into partaking in this little plan of his, was a pretty bold move on his part, if she did say so. But then again, she was sure both her grandmother and sister, would have jumped at any opportunity to surprise her, so she supposed it wasn't such a challenge in order to get them to help after all.

Cynthia shook her head slightly in bewilderment. She then gave her relatives a small smile, before deciding to play along with their charade.

"You don't say grandmother," she stated, with a slight tone of sarcasm laced within. "That is a shame. I'm sorry to hear that you are busy tomorrow. Although, even though it is a day early, I'm sure it's fine to celebrate today."

She could see her sister struggling to try and control the mirth she was holding in at her answer. However, her grandmother just raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know dear, sarcasm doesn't become you," her grandmother responded, rather dryly.

With that, her sister couldn't control her mirth any longer, and finally gave into the laughter that she'd been holding at bay. Cynthia couldn't help but give into her own mirth.

"All right you two; settle down before you both burst a blood vessel," her grandmother sternly stated, trying to grab both girls' attention.

After a few moments, both girls apologized, as their mirth began to subside. When it finally did, Cynthia could see their grandmother turn towards her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"Why don't you get the gift that has been left here for Cynthia?"

"Okay," her sister replied, wiping a few of the tears that had leaked from her eyes, before striding into the adjoining room.

Cynthia could hear the tell tale signs of a draw being opened and closed, then her sister's footsteps returning. Once her sister re-entered the room, Cynthia couldn't help the rather bright smile that blossomed over her face, as she took in the beautiful gift that her sister held out for her.

"You know, I wish someone would give me something like this," her sister stated with a sigh, as Cynthia took the coral coloured rose from her hand. Her sister gave another sigh, before she caught sight of her grandmother staring at her. "What grandmother? Why you looking at me like that?"

"You aren't old enough yet, young lady," her grandmother sternly replied. "And anyway, I'd have to meet your potential suitor first, before I agree to such things."

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh at the flabbergasted look on her sister's face.

"But…but…grandmother! Hang on a minute…what about Cynthia's…"

"Hush now child, and come and give me a hand in the kitchen. Let's give your sister some time to admire her gift, shall we?"

With that, her grandmother turned and headed into the kitchen, with her sister hot on her heels.

"But grandmother, you've only met him twice though…" she could hear her sister whine, before the door closed behind them, leaving her in peace.

Cynthia couldn't help but give another little chuckle, before her attention was drawn back to her gift. She gave a content smile as she unattached the note and began to read.

 **Coral symbolizes desire.**

 **Being away from you, is one of the hardest things I have to endure. I want to be with you as much as I can. I desire to be the one you want, and I long to be with you once again; and I'm counting down the hours until then.**

Cynthia gave a content sigh, as she felt a wave of happiness flood through her. She never knew he felt this way, or this deeply. She had had an inkling that his feelings for her had gone beyond platonic, but she'd never been brave enough to ask, for fear of damaging what they already had. However, there was no need to be fearful now, because she now had the undeniable proof of his affections.

She gave another content sigh; these little love notes of his; had also made her realize; just how deep her feelings ran for him. There was no denying that she found him attractive, but she wasn't just attracted to his physical attributes, but his personality too. He was right when he said it was uncanny, because she never would have imagined; that she'd find someone, 'who was similar in every way,' either.

Now that she was slowly coming to terms with it, there was simply no denying; that she had fallen for him too. The thought of being in a relationship had never even crossed her mind before, but now….

"Cynthia dear, could you give us a hand, please?"

It was the sound of her grandmother's voice; that finally broke Cynthia out of her daydreaming. She glanced once more at the note and rose, before depositing them into her coat pocket and schooling her features, (in order to stop any unnecessary teasing from her sister,) before making her way towards the kitchen.

Although, while making her way there, she couldn't deny, that her thoughts didn't linger far from him. She longed to see him again too, and there was no doubt in her mind; that she'd be counting down the hours until she could.

A bright smile blossomed over her lips; she couldn't wait to see what he had planned for tomorrow.

* * *

February 14th (Valentine's Day)

Today was the day, the countdown was over; Valentines Day was here.

Cynthia couldn't deny; that she was rather excited, if not a little nervous. He obviously had something planned, but it was the waiting that was making her nervous. Like Bertha had mentioned once before, patience was a virtue; but right now, she felt anything but patient. He'd kept her in suspense for the past fortnight; she didn't want to wait any longer.

If there was one positive thing, all the other members of the Elite Four, had conveniently all disappeared after dinner, claiming that they all had places to be. Cynthia couldn't help but give a little snort at that; how he'd convinced them all to disappear for the day was beyond her, but then again, they were all in on the plan already, so she supposed it didn't take much convincing, if any at all.

But back to the present, she was still determined to wait him out, no matter how envious she was. She was most intrigued to see how he was going to pull this off. She gave a sigh as she made her way up the stairs towards her room.

As she entered her bedroom, she immediately froze at the sight in front of her, because there, on her bed, lay a bouquet of real, red roses. _How_ _on earth did he…_?

It was the sound of a masculine chuckle from behind her; that brought her out of her stupor. As she whirled around towards the doorway, she found it was empty, but judging by the closeness of the laugh, she knew he was obviously hiding behind the wall, _but where the hell had he been hiding before that?_ _And how the hell did he get into our living quarters without me noticing?_ But then again, she should have expected nothing less.

A smirk broke out over her face, but that didn't mean that she couldn't play along.

"You know Steven, I could have you for breaking and entering."

She could hear him give another little chuckle, before he finally appeared in the doorway. He looked like he usually did, the same classy business suit, signature tousled hair and bright blue eyes. Cynthia had to take in a breath as she took in the sight of him.

"Would you really?" he asked, with a slight hint of amusement. "I mean, technically it's not breaking and entering when you are let in, is it? Also, it's not technically so, if the person is expecting it? Am I right?"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, at his rather smug and amused expression, although, it seemed her expression, only seemed to increase his amusement.

"Okay, Mr Smart Ass," she responded, before giving into her own mirth at the situation.

Moments passed as their amusement at the situation overflowed. Although, as their mirth gradually subsided, Steven gave her a rather content looking smile.

"So, how long did it take you to figure out it was me?"

Cynthia shuffled on her feet slightly, as a sheepish expression crossed her features.

"Uh…can I plead the fifth on that one?" There was no way in hell, that she was going to admit that she'd only discovered it was him, a measly two days ago; that would just feed his ego to unbearable levels.

He gave another little chuckle, as he stepped closer to her. Cynthia could feel her heartbeat quicken as he now stood within her personal space. She could feel the warmth radiating off him, and she couldn't help but find herself leaning into him slightly.

However, she was still curious to know something.

"You know, I'm curious to know; how you managed to pull all this off?" she said, before using her left hand, to gently brush away some of his hair from his forehead. "Especially, with regards to how you convinced all of the Elite Four and my relatives to play along. Not to mention, how you got all those roses into those places."

Steven stepped closer to her again, closing the remaining inches that were between them, as he gave her a little sexy smirk. But Cynthia couldn't help but become entranced by the bright blue colour of his irises; that were now smouldering with emotion. She couldn't have looked away even if she had tried; she was caught, like a Beautifly in an Ariados' web.

Steven raised his right hand, in order to brush away her fringe.

"Later," he replied, before leaning down and placing his eager mouth over hers, as his hands snaked around her waist, in order to pull her closer to him.

 _Later is good,_ Cynthia thought, as her hands grabbed hold of his cheeks, as she kissed him back with equal vigour. Everything seemed to vanish form her mind as their lips moved together in synchronicity.

She could feel herself growing pliant with the feelings of elation and happiness that flowed through her. She'd never experienced anything like this before, but then again, she had never felt like this for anyone before either, so she supposed it was to be expected. But there was one thing that she could say for certain, _I could so get used to this._

Several blissful moments later, they pulled apart slowly. Steven then lowered his forehead to rest against hers, as they panted slightly. Time just seemed to vanish, as they stared dreamily into each other's eyes. Everything was finally as it should have been, in fact; everything was perfect, and it had all stemmed, from roses with notes.

 _Speaking of…_ Cynthia removed her forehead from his, before her gaze flicked over towards her bedside table. Catching sight of her beautiful gifts, a content smile formed over her lips, just as her gaze returned to the handsome gift bearer, who was now giving her a rather questioning look.

Her smile grew, as she nodded her head slightly in the direction she had been looking in. He followed her indication, before returning his gaze to hers with a rather knowing look.

"Well, they look vaguely familiar," he stated, as his lips curled in amusement.

"Of course," she replied, as she raised her eyebrow at him. "But you do know; no matter how much you try and distract me; I'm still highly curious to know, how you managed to pull all this off."

"I knew you would be," he replied, finally giving a little chuckle. "But then again, I'd expect nothing less from you."

She could feel the amusement spread through her as well, as she gave a little chuckle, before a beautiful smile blossomed across her lips.

"Regardless though, I really do appreciate this, from the bottom of my heart, and I just want to say, thank you Steven; I've loved every one."

His amusement finally subsided, as a charming smile spread across his features at her words of appreciation.

"I'm glad," he replied, before his smile morphed slowly into a smirk. "But then again, how can you say you love and appreciate them all, if you haven't received them all yet?"

Her eyes widened, as she took in his rather smug expression. Steven's smirk grew, as he reached inside his blazer. Once he removed his hand, Cynthia couldn't help the bright smile that broke out across her face, at the object he revealed to her. He was holding another material rose; this one, red in colour; (that matched the real life blooms spread out on her bed,) complete with attached note.

"It would be a shame not to have a full set now, wouldn't it?" he sexily stated, before holding the rose out towards her, which she eagerly took.

She took in the red silky material of the petals, before she slowly removed the note from the rose's stem. She glanced towards him. He gave her a rather content, if not jubilant smile, as he gave a slight tilt of his head towards the note, indicating that she should read it. She gave her own little smile; before lowering her gaze to the front of the note.

She took in a sharp breath, as she felt her heart skip a beat, at the message that was inscribed on the front, before flipping over the note, to read the back. When she did, Cynthia couldn't stop the moisture that flooded into her eyes, and the large smile that blossomed over her features, at the immense feeling of love and happiness that bubbled up from inside her, _it was perfect._

With that immense feeling of happiness flowing through her, she closed the distance between them, as she reached up to grab both of his cheeks, before leaning up to place her mouth over his.

She could feel him responding to her passion, as his arms once again, snaked around her waist, inadvertently bringing her closer to him. As he did, her hands slid from his cheeks, into his tousled blue locks on their own accord, as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

As she did, Cynthia could feel the note that she had been holding, fall from her hand and flutter to the floor, but she paid no heed to it. She was far too busy at the moment. _I'll just pick it up later,_ she thought _,_ before everything vanished from her mind, as Steven's tongue entangled with hers.

Her last rational thought before her mind completely shut down; was entirely on the short, sweet, but powerful message; that he had written on there.

 **Red symbolizes love.**

 **I love you, Cynthia.**

 **For now and always.**

 **Steven xx**

 _And I love you too, Steven._

* * *

 **And there we have it! I hope you all made it here to the end!**

 **And I'm sorry, I know Valentines Day is still a while away yet, but I couldn't wait 4 months in order to post this. I know, I know, sue me.**

 **Anyway, I think it was pretty obvious that Steven was the mysterious admirer for us, because let's face it, what are these stories about? But I hope you enjoyed the ride from Cynthia's perspective.**

 **To be fair, I'm actually quite proud of this story and it's safe to say, it's one of my all time favourites, even though Steven only made a brief appearance, but then again, he was technically in it throughout. And I love the interactions I made between Cynthia and the other characters in this one.**

 **So with Christmas literally only two months away, it looks like I should make headway on a story for our couple. What do you think?**

 **Remember suggestions all welcome.**

 **Until next time peeps!**


	17. Meetings and Suspicions

**Hello once again everyone!**

 **I'm back after another lengthy break, sorry about that, but work has had me pinned down. But fear not, I have a little one-shot here for you all.**

 **So, with regards to this story, I thought I'd try a different angle. As all of my previous stories have been more or less told from either Cynthia's or Steven's perspective; (apart from chapter 3), I thought I'd make it from a different character's point of view.**

 **Therefore, this one-shot is actually told from Diantha's point of view. The story does feature Cynthia and Steven, but, they are not telling the story, but fear not, they are the central plot line to the story. (I hope that makes sense.)**

 **Not much more I can say here, as the story is rather self explanatory.**

 **Oh, I should also mention, that there are guest appearances by Lance and Alder too.**

 **Rating wise, I am putting it at a T, but again this is only a precaution. Nothing really too bad, maybe one or two swear words and hinted suggestive things, but nothing much else.**

 **Well, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

It was that time of year again; the annual meeting between the champions; and the Pokemon Regions' Official Committee; or in layman's terms, the stuffed shirts who ran the sanctioned leagues.

The aforementioned Committee, known as the PROC Committee, (or as Alder had jokingly called them on that one occasion, the Pointless Retarded Opinionated Committee,) were the people who controlled everything in relation to the everyday running of the Pokemon League itself; such as sanctioning events, to checking member's eligibility, establishing safety protocols, checking for compliance, checking financial status' etc. etc…ad nauseum.

Once a year these meetings took place, and they were unfortunately, compulsory. In all honesty, they were important meetings, as the outcome of these talks, were what helped maintain the successful operation of the everyday running of the leagues' in each region.

However, what made them so drastically unappealing; was that these meetings, tended to be the very definition of the word tedious, and they didn't just last hours, oh no, they lasted for two whole weeks; two whole weeks of long winded, dull, monotonous questioning; leading to endless hours of boredom.

It wasn't just this that made these meetings seem unbearable. What made matters a hundred times worse, was that they were not held in any of their home regions, but rather on neutral territory, so, in other words, an island in the middle of nowhere. (Apparently, this idea was to stop any bias being given to any one region, which seemed highly ludicrous, as every region seemed to get along just fine.)

The island in question, was a secret location to all, except for the champions and said committee. Said island, didn't even have a name, (although, Lance had thought it would be appropriate to call it hell, until Steven pointed out that that name had already been taken,) as it was a location that could protect the privacy to both the committee and to the discussions that were taking place. So, this undeniably meant, no outside contact with anyone; even so much as making a telephone call to civilization; was a big no-no.

To be fair, the accommodation they were sharing, was actually pretty decent, considering the location it was in was rather sparse; but still…unappealing may be classed as an understatement of the highest level.

* * *

It was now currently, 18:00 hours on Friday week one, the meetings had finally just concluded for the day. The champions found themselves spread out around the lounge area of their shared accommodation. To say they were bored; may have been the understatement of the century.

Currently, this is where Diantha now found herself, sat in an armchair to the left hand side of Alder, who was currently sprawled out of over one sofa; Lance sat directly opposite her in another armchair, while Steven and Cynthia were sharing another sofa, to the left of her, with the latter sitting closest to her.

Diantha gave a little sigh, the meetings today had been trying to say the least. She was one of the few people that could attest to having a busy schedule on a daily basis, what with her league duties and filming schedules, but these meetings, sure took the cake.

She gave another sigh as she listened to the steady crackle and pop being made from the fireplace. Everyone seemed to be worn out, drained by the day's events; but Diantha couldn't blame them, she felt exactly the same.

It was Lance's deep voice; that finally broke through the silence.

"Well, I can safely say, that today was definitely, a complete waste of time."

"Didn't you say that yesterday?"

Diantha glanced in the direction of the voice; only to encounter the Sinnoh champion staring at Lance, with a raised eyebrow, while brushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Yes, I do believe I did," Lance replied, before curling his lip slightly. "And I will make it a point, to keep repeating myself, until these blasted meetings are concluded."

This managed to garner a chuckle from both herself and Cynthia.

"Seriously, every year we come here, it's the same crap we have to answer," Alder huffed, as he manoeuvred himself into a more comfortable position on the sofa he was lying on. "I really don't get it. Do they like torturing us or something?"

"Indeed, it would seem that way," Steven replied, as he stretched his left arm out along the sofa's armrest. "I have had to endure some tedious meetings before, when my father has asked me to attend ones at Devon, but these…they are certainly hours of our lives that we will unfortunately never regain."

Alder gave another little huff.

"Tell me about it."

"Well, let's look on the bright side shall we," Diantha stated, just as everyone's heads turned towards her.

"There's a bright side?" Lance enquired, with a rather sceptical raise of his eyebrow.

"Well yes," she replied, as she glanced between each of her colleagues. She had to seriously restrain the urge to burst into laughter, at the rather incredulous looks she was receiving, she could almost here them internally debating, whether she'd been overcome with insanity. She gave an inward chuckle before plastering a smile onto her lips. "Just think, we are five down; and that leaves only nine to go, and then we are free for another year."

There was a collective groan from within the group.

"You know what Diantha, sometimes that optimistic attitude of yours, can really be annoying," Alder huffed again, before folding his arms together in annoyance.

"Indeed," Lance replied with a shake of his head. "Even though we appreciate your efforts in trying to help, I think in these circumstances, we can all agree, there is no positives to this torture."

"I agree," Steven commented, while running his hand through his disarrayed, steel blue locks. "I'm not sure there are strong enough words that could describe this situation."

"Oh, I'm sure we could think up a few," Cynthia smirked, as she glanced towards Steven, who glanced back with a rather amused smirk of his own. The pair seemed to lock gazes for a few brief moments, before quickly glancing away, to avoid being noticed by the rest of their colleagues.

However, as much as they tried to hide their brief encounter, their exchange didn't go unnoticed, as Diantha had caught it almost immediately. She could feel her suspicions arise again, about the status of the relationship between the Hoenn and Sinnoh champions. She'd had a gut feeling about these two for quite a while now, and she was utterly convinced; that there was something more than just mere friendship going on between them.

Diantha glanced at Cynthia, who was now staring at the fire in the far corner of the room, almost robotically. She suspected, that she was seriously restraining the urge, to return her attention back towards the man sat next to her. It sounded ludicrous to assume such things, but she knew the blonde rather well and she could tell when she was conflicted.

In fact, she could clearly say; that out of all the champions, she was closer to Cynthia, more so than any of the others, and she had been, ever since the day she had met the Sinnohnian. She supposed most of that; stemmed from the fact that Cynthia was a female, and someone that Diantha could finally relate too.

She had nothing against the men, they were all pretty decent guys, but as a lonely female in a boys' club, it did grate on her nerves occasionally, because let's face it; there were limits to the amount of conversation that you could have with a man.

So, when the news of Cynthia's triumph over Rowan reached her ears, it had been pleasing to say the least, because finally, another female had risen to the top status in their region. Diantha could remember feeling rather elated and excited upon hearing the news, and she'd been quite eager to meet her.

And it came as no surprise to her; that upon finally meeting Cynthia at the 'Champion Induction Ceremony;' that they became fast friends, so much so, that they now kept in regular contact with each other, whether by, arranging to meet up, (but more often than not, their schedules would conflict, hers more than anything, because of her hectic filming schedule,) or by phoning each other once a week, in order to catch up.

However, that didn't mean it was all rosy, it wasn't by any means, as Diantha could recall many occasions, where they had clashed about things. Although, this tended to be more so on Cynthia's part, as the Sinnoh champion could be quite stubborn when she wanted to be.

Admittedly, it only seemed to occur though, when Diantha had tried to offer advice or assistance in matters. She could recall numerous occasions of disagreements between them, because Cynthia had strongly declined her aid or advice, because she wanted to plough through things on her own.

She suspected; that the blonde was so used to being independent, since a rather young age; that she was rather unsure on how to ask, or how to respond to people offering their services, or their advice. But then again, that's just who she was; a rather strong willed individual, and regardless of this characteristic, she couldn't deny, that she'd found a rather close friend in Cynthia, and she was sure, that the blonde felt the same towards her.

Diantha let a little smile settle on her lips, before she finally removed her gaze from the blonde, and glanced towards the Hoenn champion. His expression spoke volumes too, especially, with the way that he was staring endlessly into his lap, like the mysteries of the universe would miraculously appear there.

With regards to Steven, Diantha had known him for a lot longer than Cynthia, as he'd been a champion for a longer period of time. However, even though she'd been acquainted with the man for many years, she still felt like she didn't really know him that well. Even though he was quite the upstanding gentleman, he tended to be a tad bit reclusive.

There was no denying, that out of all the male champions, he was the quieter one, unlike Alder and Lance, who tended to be quite bold and brash on occasions. Although, Diantha felt that it wasn't just that. Steven was the sort of man; that tended to keep his emotions well under control, so much so, that you couldn't determine what the man was thinking or feeling on occasions.

Just like Cynthia, she suspected that that; had a lot to do with his upbringing. Although, she also suspected, that his quietness, also stemmed from the fact; that he didn't really have a lot in common with any of them.

However, this all seemed to change when Cynthia arrived. Quite amazingly, the pair had hit it off straight away, especially, when they'd discovered that their interests ran along similar paths. It was uncanny, but their personalities just seemed to gel. Diantha gave a little inward chuckle, how people could bond over dusty ruins and rocks, was something that still bewildered the hell out of her.

But she digressed, out of the entire time that she'd been acquainted with Steven; she'd never seen him interact with anyone, quite like he did with Cynthia. Over the past year alone, he seemed to be coming out of his shell, and his personality seemed to be making an appearance a lot more. It was almost like, the more time he spent with the Sinnoh champion, the more open he became.

Come to think of it, it didn't just seem to be a one sided affect either. Over the past few months at least, Diantha had noticed; that Cynthia was becoming exactly the same. In fact, judging by their last few catch-ups that they had had, Cynthia did seem to be becoming more open as a person too, and she seemed to be more willing to listen and accept advice.

Diantha had to admit, it was really uncanny, but it seemed that the more they interacted; the more positive affect they tended to have on each other. It was quite astounding really; and she was sure, that it wasn't just her that had been surprised by their gradual transformation. However, she couldn't deny that the outcomes were heartening, and if simply being together made them better people, then who was she to judge?

It was quite evident, that the two had become extremely close, there was no denying that; anyone with eyes could see it. Although, what Diantha was most suspicious about, was whether this rather close friendship had evolved into something more. She had suspected something had changed, and she was convinced; that the pair had gone beyond the boundary of friendship and into more romantic territory.

Problem was though; that she couldn't be 100% certain, as there hadn't been any outright confirmation from either of them. However, she was fairly confident that her suspicions were quite justified, especially, if she based her logic around some of the things she had witnessed between the two over the last few months, regardless of whether they were together, or on their own.

There had been plenty of examples that Diantha had witnessed even before the meetings; that was without the subtle hints that she'd picked up on during their five days here. Of course, the attitude changes were rather big indicators, but there were other things that screamed out to her, such as that little exchange that just happened moments ago.

The most obvious sign had been the playful banter. It was something that Diantha had witnessed a few times in recent months, but it was definitely something, that she could have never imagined either of one them partaking in, before they'd met.

Although, the dead giveaway for her during that exchange; was the actual look that they shared. Even though it was brief, it was a split second longer than it should have been, and to Diantha, it spoke volumes. It wasn't so much the look itself, but it was in the way that they seemed to lose themselves in the other's gaze, before having to literally, physically tear their eyes off each other, as if they only suddenly remembered that they weren't alone.

Even though that was quite possibly the biggest hint that she'd had, there had of course been other simple day-to-day things too, that had aroused her suspicions, such as them both sitting next to each other all the time; the little smiles they seemed to exchange, when they thought no one was looking; not to mention the way that they seemed to find excuses to touch each other in some way. (She could recall numerous occasions where she had witnessed Cynthia touching Steven's arm, claiming to be removing lint from his jacket.)

Being an actress herself, Diantha was well versed on how to put on a façade, or an act, (because let's face it, that was what she was paid for;) and those two, were definitely putting on an act in order to deflect attention away from themselves for some reason. And she would bet her entire wage packet; that it was because they were trying to hide the fact that they were now a couple.

Diantha gave an inward chuckle to herself, she had to give them credit, it was a good act, but it didn't fool her one bit. Although, she could clearly understand why they would want to keep it a secret, especially, given the fact that they were well known individuals. She could only imagine the field day the press would have with news of a romantic relationship between the pair, not to mention the backlash and ridicule they could receive.

And Diantha respected that, she truly did. They both tended to be private people at the best of times, and she would respect their wishes, if they did want to keep it a secret. However, she just wanted to assure them; that they didn't need to hide it from her. She was totally fine with it; (in fact, she thought it was a rather perfect match;) and if they wanted to spend their time together here acting like a couple, then their secret was safe with her.

Although, now all she had to do; was to try and get some sort of full confirmation, before she could express her sentiments.

"I mean honestly, who'd want to attack these bunch of pencil pushers?"

Diantha was finally dragged out of her thoughts, when she heard Alder's rather exasperated voice. It seemed, that during the time she'd been lost within her own thoughts, the topic of conversation had been continuing on around her.

"I think the logical reasoning here, has more to do with the fact; that they want us to suffer, like they have too," Cynthia replied, with a hint of disgust, which quickly turned to mirth at Steven's, rather sarcastic response.

"Yes indeed, it seems misery, does indeed love company."

Diantha observed the large smile that blossomed over Cynthia's face, as she averted her attention back to the Hoenn champion. That was another thing that she had picked up on recently; the way that Steven would say things, with the purposeful intent of making the Sinnoh champion smile.

"Only you would come up with something so profound to describe such torment," Cynthia replied, while valiantly trying to keep the mirth she felt at the situation under control.

"Would you expect anything less?" he replied, giving her a rather cheeky grin and a wink.

That did it. Cynthia couldn't control her mirth any longer, as she burst into laughter at the whole ridiculous sentiment. Steven joined in immediately after.

Diantha couldn't help the bewilderment she felt at witnessing that little exchange. Wasn't she just thinking that their interactions were slightly more out of character? Well, this definitely counted as being widely out of character for the both of them. In fact, this was bordering on playful flirting, which was something she never would have pegged either of them to be capable of.

She continued to observe the pair, as they seemed to gravitate towards each other, in their state of mirth. Diantha couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise, at the way that Cynthia seemed to bury her face into Steven's shoulder blade, before raising her left hand, in order to grab onto his arm, tightly. Steven meanwhile, seemed to automatically tilt his head to rest against hers, as one of his hands gently covered her right hand, that had been resting on the sofa between them.

Well, if she thought their previous actions towards each other were out of character, this certainly took the cake. It almost seemed like an unconscious reaction on their part, it was almost as if, they were used to being like this on a regular basis, as if it was normal for them to seek comfort from each other. It was like they had completely forgotten that they weren't alone.

Diantha glanced towards her other two colleagues, to see if they had noticed this rather unusual exchange. Judging by the rather bewildered and surprised expressions that the other two men were displaying, she wasn't alone in her assumptions. Now she was convinced; that they were something more.

"Well, I'm glad to see that some of us are getting some joy from this," Alder stated, with some of his bewilderment resonating through his tone, as his gaze focussed onto the couple, who now seemed to be recovering from their mirth.

It seemed that it was Alder's voice; that finally brought the pair around. Cynthia seemed to recover first, as she removed her head from Steven's shoulder, before turning around in order to sit normally once again, all the while, wiping away some of the tears that had over-spilled, due to her mirth.

"Well, if you think about it," Cynthia stated, before giving another little chuckle. "You have to laugh at the situation really, otherwise, it could potentially drive you insane. I mean, what's that famous saying, 'it's the madness that liberates?' I think that can be applied here."

Lance gave a little huff.

"And you say that Steven is the profound one," he replied, with a raise of his eyebrow.

Diantha couldn't help but give a little chuckle at that herself, in one respect, the situation was quite funny, and it seemed that they were all in agreement, as a collective chuckle seemed to escape everyone. She had to admit; it was refreshing to finally laugh and relax a little.

After brief moments of amusement, she could hear a clearing of a throat from beside her.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I could do with a refreshment," Cynthia stated, before glancing around the room. "In fact, I was thinking of preparing some tea, if anyone else would like anything?"

"Tea sounds splendid," Diantha replied, as Cynthia's gaze locked onto hers for a brief second, before the Sinnoh champion give her a small nod, before averting her gaze to the males across the room.

"Lance? Alder?"

"Tea does indeed sound most appealing."

"Yeah sure, why not?"

Diantha could see her give another nod in affirmation at the positive response from each man, before her gaze averted slowly towards the man sat next to her.

"And what about you Steven? What would you like?"

Diantha's eyebrows shot up in shock at her question. She couldn't be sure that Cynthia had meant it that way, but based on the way she phrased that sentence, and in the rather playful tone she delivered it in; certainly made the question sound incredibly suggestive.

Unfortunately, Cynthia's back was turned towards her, and Diantha couldn't see the expression she bore, as she gazed at the Hoenn champion. She would have given anything at that precise moment, to have swapped seats with Lance, just to have seen her expression.

However, luckily for her, that didn't stop her from catching Steven's reaction to the rather suggestive comment. With him shifting sideways in his seat to stare at the Sinnoh champion, Diantha was treated to the full, uninterrupted view of his reaction to her statement. Steven didn't even notice her observing him, as his full attention was solely locked onto the blonde in front of him.

She could see a feint trace of red appear over the Hoenn champion's cheeks, as his eyes widened slightly, before his irises turned a remarkably, brighter shade of blue. She could see the desire and longing burning in those steely blue orbs, and she swore she could feel the heat radiating off him from her own seat. She had to resist the urge to fan herself.

After a few seconds, the look diminished in his eyes slightly, as he cleared his throat, before finally answering Cynthia's question.

"Do not worry about me, I will come and grab my own drink, therefore, I can help you at the same time."

Diantha had to raise her right fist to her mouth, in order to stop herself from laughing, at the rather suggestive look on Steven's face. The man couldn't have been anymore obvious if he had tried. It seemed; that her suspicions were indeed correct; if she was looking for some form of solid confirmation, this was it.

After a rather lengthy pause, she could see Cynthia give a little nod, before she turned and rose from the sofa, Steven immediately following her.

"We won't be long," Cynthia informed them, as she strode towards the door that led to the attached kitchen, with Steven hot on her heels.

Diantha had to seriously resist the urge to shout for them to take their time. She gave an inward chuckle; there was no question about it now, as far as she was concerned, they were definitely a couple.

The distinct sound of the door opening and then closing could be heard, before a heavy chuckle came from the right hand side of her.

"Arceus, I don't see why they didn't just jump each other on the sofa just then. It would have saved them a trip."

Diantha's eyebrows shot up in shock again, as she whipped her head around to stare at Alder. At her rather bewildered expression, Alder raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"So, I take it you guys knew or guessed as well?" she asked, still slightly bewildered.

"Please, of course we did," Alder replied, as he finally rose into a sitting position on the sofa. "I may be known for being a bit slow at times, but those two aren't fooling anyone. I mean; it isn't hard to figure out, especially, after witnessing that little display they just put on."

"Yes, Alder is indeed correct. It isn't that difficult to figure out, I mean it is pretty obvious," Lance retorted, before giving a little chuckle. "We may be men Diantha, but we aren't that blind."

Diantha couldn't help but give a little snort at that, before shaking her head in amusement; she should have guessed. Even though, both Lance and Alder tended to be quite bullish when it came to emotions, it didn't exactly mean they were clueless.

"Do you think we should tell them that we know?" she asked, raising her eyebrow questionably at her male colleagues. "I know that they are going to great lengths in order to hide it, but do you think we should let them know that we are all perfectly okay with them not? What do you think gents?"

She could see Lance run a hand through his hair, before taking a deep breath.

"Hmm…well, that's a tough one to call," he stated, before running a finger along his chin in thought. "If we look at the main issue, they are obviously keeping it private for a reason…"

"Even though they are failing miserably," Alder retorted with a chuckle.

"Be that as it may Alder, I do believe in protecting one's privacy, as I would expect nothing less if it was something concerning myself," Lance glanced towards the man, with a stern look in his eyes. "However, if they seem to only be keeping it private because they think we do not know, then I don't see a problem with telling them. It would be a bit pointless for them to carry on with their façade for no apparent reason."

Diantha gave a little nod at the joint Kanto and Johto region champion. For a man who was well known for being quite headstrong; he did have a way with words sometimes.

"I whole heartedly agree with you Lance," she replied, as a small smile appeared over her lips. "I do think though, that we should let them know soon. It must be hard for them to be in this close of proximity and not be able to show their affection for each other. I think it's only fair that they should be able to spend their time together here, without fear of their relationship being scrutinized. Arceus knows they'll be separated again soon. I think they deserve it, and let's face it, at least some of us will find some happiness during this time of torment."

She could here Lance give a deep chuckle.

"Why Diantha, you are quite the romantic aren't you?"

A smirk spread across her lips.

"What can I say? It's all those scripts I've read," she replied, suavely. "But all jokes aside gentlemen, are we all in agreement that we should tell them?"

She glanced towards the two men, who both nodded their heads in affirmation.

"Indeed."

"Yeah, I agree," Alder replied, before a smirk stretched across his face. "But that doesn't mean that we can't have a little fun with it right? I mean; we have to find something to keep us entertained for the rest of the time that we are here. They'll have each other, so I think it's only fair that we can have our own fun, and what better, than finding ways to tease the lovebirds?"

She couldn't help but burst into laughter at the rather devious expression that Alder was sporting. And it seemed that Lance found it just as amusing, as he gave a deep chuckle, before patting the Unova champion on the back.

Trust Alder to suggest such wicked ideas, he was always the joker of the group. But then again, he did have a very valid point. Why shouldn't the rest of them get some enjoyment out of this too? And besides, no harm ever came from a little teasing.

Moments after coming to that rather amusing decision between them, they finally heard the door to the kitchen reopening. Diantha quickly coughed in order to hide her amusement, before she glanced towards the doorway, where the couple had just stepped back through, Cynthia carrying one mug in each hand, and Steven carrying a tray with the rest.

"So, what did we miss?" Cynthia asked with intrigue, as she made her way back over towards them, before handing one mug to her.

Meanwhile, Steven had placed the tray in the centre of the table, before handing Lance and Alder their own cups. From her vantage point, Diantha could see that Steven's hair seemed more tousled than usual, like something had been constantly running through it. She took a sip of her tea in order to stop the amusement from breaking free once again.

"Indeed, we could here you laughing from the kitchen," Steven also enquired.

As the couple finally retook their seats, Diantha stole a quick glance at her co-conspirators. At their rather smug smirks, she could feel her own stretching across her face, as she slowly sat back in her chair and raised the cup she'd been given to her lips once again.

"Oh, nothing much," Alder finally replied, rather smugly. "We were just thinking about ways in which we could make our time here more enjoyable, and I think, we may have found the perfect solution."

Once again, she had to strongly restrain the urge to burst into laughter.

One thing though, she couldn't help but think, that maybe the rest of their time spent here in these meetings, wasn't going to be as bad as they had all originally thought.

* * *

 **And there we have it everyone.**

 **I've wanted to do a champion get together for a while now, and this idea just seemed to take over. I think Diantha's point of view was the best one to tell this from, as no offence to the guys, she was the easiest one to write for.**

 **One thing, I do feel real sorry for Steven and Cynthia, at the endless teasing they are going to get from their fellow colleagues. I'm not making it easy for them in some of these stories am I?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed that. I know it's been a slightly different outlook than the majority of my previous stories, but I thought I'd try a different angle, just to see how it would play out.**

 **Also the PROC Committee probably doesn't even exist, but, then again, there has to be a certain group that arranges all the Pokemon Leagues surely? So, for the purpose of this story, this was my imaginative input.**

 **Please do let me know what you think, because there are ideas that I could try with other characters too, with their input on the Darksteel relationship. Is it something you lovely reviewers and followers want to see? Not all the time obviously, but maybe as a few one-shots?**

 **Remember reviews welcome, and please keep those requests coming!**

 **Until next time.**


	18. Secrets, Uneasiness and Devious Plans

**Good evening Dark Steel shippers, I'm finally back!**

 **Sorry for the rather long wait for this, but I've been extremely busy with work, and trying to fit in writing time has been a struggle. However, fear not, I have for you a story!**

 **With regards to this story, this is the follow on to my previous work; Meetings and Suspicions. (Or, the chapter before this one.) There was a demand for me to write a sort of continuation to that one, as it was kind of left open. So, as requested, this is it.**

 **I highly recommend that you read Meetings and Suspicions first, (or Chapter 17 on mobile devices), because otherwise, you will probably not understand this, because it is more a less a follow on.**

 **However, this part is actually told from both Steven's and Cynthia's points of view, unlike the previous chapter. It starts from Steven's point of view, then at the page break, it swaps to Cynthia, then at the next page break, it swaps back to Steven and so on... I'm sure you will get the gist of it as you read it.**

 **Not going to say much more here, because it'll spoil it.**

 **I am rating it T, just in case, because there maybe one or two suggestive things mentioned and maybe one or two little curse words, but nothing major.**

 **Well, I will see you at the end.**

* * *

Steven sighed, as he made his way down the corridor back towards the meeting room. It was now Sunday week one; nearly half way through these fortnight long, hellish meetings.

They'd had a thirty-minute recess, but that was now almost up and it was unfortunately, time to head back for more hours of torment. Why was it that time spent outside of them seemed to go far quicker than the time spent within them? That, was what he assumed, they called irony.

However, it wasn't just the thought of returning to those meetings that was playing on his mind at the present, oh no. There was also the issue, of the rather peculiar behaviour of some of his fellow colleagues, or more accurately, Diantha, Lance and Alder.

Ever since Friday evening, when he and Cynthia had returned from making them all refreshments; well…they hadn't just been making refreshments; a small smirk broke out across his face at the thought. That; had been one sweet, satisfying, yet short, make out session. He wouldn't have minded it lasting longer, however, with them vowing to keep their relationship a secret, (for now at least,) they had had to make their time spent away inconspicuous, as if making tea was the only thing they had been doing.

That little moment between them had been risky, to say the least, but he found that he just couldn't help himself. (And it seemed it was very much mutual, if her response was anything to go by.) Being in close proximity with her and not being able to show affection was torture, not in a bad way mind, but rather…sweet torture. It was difficult to find restraint around her at the best of times, but being around her for a solid fortnight in the same accommodation, was testing his self-control to the limit.

Steven shook his head slightly in order to shake away those pleasant memories, as he began to refocus on the problem at hand. Ever since he and Cynthia had re-entered the room that evening, their fellow colleagues had been acting…not so much different, but more…smug, and dare he say, devious. Admittedly, that may have been too strong of a word, but it was as if they were conspiring over something and both he and Cynthia weren't privy to it.

Come to think of it, he'd lost track of the number of looks he had witnessed being exchanged between their other three colleagues in the past two days; that was without the little smirks. There was no question about it; they were definitely up to something, but what?

The only thing he could think of, was perhaps they knew something about his and Cynthia's change in relationship status? However, this confused him slightly, because there was no way that they could know, as neither of them had given any indications to suggest anything of the sort. Admittedly, they'd slipped a few times, but it had never been in front of their other colleagues. As far as he was aware, they'd never acted in a way around them; that would suggest they were anything more than close friends.

He gave another little sigh, dwelling on the situation was only going to give him a headache, and that was something he could do without, what with more of these meetings to endure. He was so deep in thought, he failed to hear a door opening, or notice the arm that had grabbed onto his sleeve, until he was literally, dragged off course and into another room.

Steven heard the door bang close, as his arm was released. As he slowly regained some of his equilibrium, he finally registered the blonde that was now stood in front of him. A little smirk appeared over his face.

"Well, hello…"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at his rather suggestive greeting, before she gave a little punch to his arm. He couldn't help but give a little wince at the impact, whether she realized it or not, she was quite strong.

"Steven, this isn't the time," she replied, with a slight hint of agitation in her voice. She gave a heavy sigh, before averting her eyes to the floor, as she ran a hand through her blonde tresses.

Steven's brows furrowed slightly in concern, judging by her appearance, something had unsettled her and whatever it was, it was obviously bothering her, greatly.

"Are you alright? You seem agitated; is something the matter?"

She gave another heavy sigh, before straightening slightly and locking her gaze onto his again.

"Is it just me, or have you noticed that our fellow champions are acting rather peculiar?"

What's that saying; 'great minds think alike?' Well that certainly seemed to apply here, because wasn't he just thinking that? Steven gave a little chuckle at the thought, but quickly ceased; as he took in the rather unimpressed glare she was giving him. He gave a little cough to clear away his amusement.

"Funny, I was just thinking that now." At her rather sceptical eyebrow, he hurried on. "And yes, I do agree that they are behaving rather strangely."

Cynthia ran another hand through her blonde tresses, as she gave a frustrated groan.

"Something's going on with them Steven, and I don't like it, not one bit. It's as if they are conspiring over something, and it definitely has to do with us. I thought I was just being paranoid, but if you have noticed it too…" She gave another heavy sigh, before closing her eyes, as her hand came up to rub across her forehead. "I just have this very uneasy feeling that they are plotting something, and the worrying part, is that I have no idea what it could be, but it's probably something that the both of us aren't going to like."

Steven furrowed his brows again in concern at her rather distressed expression. He hated seeing her this way. She never did handle stress well, but on this occasion, he sensed it was something more. He suspected, that it was the feeling of uncertainty; that was the main problem here, because, even though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was worried about the unpredictable outcome of what was going to happen, and the fact that it was completely out of her control.

He further suspected, that this feeling of uneasiness and the frustration at not knowing what was coming, had a lot to do with her past experiences, and had probably stemmed from the loss of her parents at a young age. He never asked, because he was well aware that it was a rather sensitive subject, but he couldn't help but feel that this was a major factor.

What she probably didn't realize though, was that her distress at the situation had a knock on effect, because now he felt awful. He loathed seeing her upset; he loved her completely, so to see her like this was heart wrenching, because all he wanted was for her to be happy, and he'd do anything to make her so. With this thought, Steven came to a decision. He wasn't quite sure whether she would accept his offer of comfort at the moment, but he was willing to risk it. He couldn't bear to see her like this anymore.

He stepped closer towards her, before he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her gently into his warm embrace. He could feel her stiffen slightly; as he braced himself for some resistance, but fortunately, it never came, as he slowly felt her relax against him; her arms wrapping around his waist, as she leaned forward to bury her head into his neck with a heavy sigh.

Steven couldn't help but feel slightly relieved at her compliance. He gave her forehead a quick kiss, before laying his head atop of hers, nose half-buried in her blonde tresses.

"I know this is frustrating you, it's confusing me as well. I know you are concerned, because you think whatever they are planning has something to do with our relationship. Am I right?" He could feel her give a little nod. He'd guessed as much, as this was something that he had suspected too. "You need not worry Cynthia, you are not the only one. But, if we think about it logically, they have no tangible proof, because we have been extremely careful, and as far as I am aware, we haven't been caught."

He could feel her head slowly moving away from his neck. At her movement, he lifted his head from hers, as she leaned back in his embrace, so she could lock gazes with him once again. He could still see the uncertainty lurking behind those beautiful grey orbs.

"I know that, but it still concerns me. Maybe it is just paranoia, becuase it could be about something else entirely. But with the way that they are acting…what if it is about our relationship Steven? I just don't want anything to damage what we have…" Her sentence trailed off as he placed a finger over her lips.

"That will never happen, because I won't let it. Besides, as you just said, it may not even be about that," he replied, removing his finger from her lips, before leaning forward to place another little kiss onto her forehead. As he leant back, he could see she was just about to say something, but he cut her off again. "Nevertheless, if it is, whatever they throw our way, we will handle it together, because together, we can handle anything. Regardless of their intentions Cynthia, I'll still love you just the same, nothing will ever change that."

Steven could almost feel her concern seep out of her, as she seemed to relax beneath his hands, which were still, conveniently wrapped around her waist. He gave her a little smile.

"Okay now?"

She nodded, as a small smile finally broke out across her lips, before she leant forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks.

At the feeling of her lips against his skin, Steven could feel the warmth she provided spread through him like a wildfire. By his calculations, they still had a few minutes before they had to return to the meetings. A little smirk appeared over his lips as he studied the blonde in front of him.

"You know, since we are all alone here, and we still have, probably another five minutes before we need to return…" But the rest of his question trailed off, at the rather stern glare she was now giving him.

Well, it was worth a shot.

* * *

Even with Steven's reassurances from earlier, Cynthia still couldn't stop that uneasy feeling from resurfacing inside of her once again.

The meetings had finished well over an hour ago, and she now found herself once again, sitting in her usual seat in their shared accommodation, with the rest of her fellow champions spread out in their usual seats, apart from Steven, who had opted to stand in front of the fireplace.

They had just had their usual complaining session about the meetings, and now a rather uncomfortable silence had descended. Well, she thought it was uncomfortable, because she had just, yet again witnessed, another rather inconspicuous glance being shared between the Kalos, Unova and joint Kanto and Johto champions. That was the seventh look in the past hour alone.

She would have had to be blind not to notice the rather unsubtle looks they shared, not just within the last hour, but over the previous two days as well. It was frustrating to say the least, because these rather suspicious activities had only started, after her and Steven had returned from making refreshments on Friday evening. She'd thought she'd just been paranoid at first, but it seemed Steven had noticed too, if the conversation she had had with him early was anything to go by.

Despite her boyfriend's reassurances that everything would be fine, the feeling of uneasiness she felt just wouldn't seem to dissipate, because she was convinced that Diantha, Lance and Alder, were obviously conspiring over something. She gave a heavy inward sigh; to be honest, it was annoying the hell out of her. She just wished she could figure out what they were planning; so she could prepare a suitable defence.

"I don't know about you, but I could do with a walk."

It was Alder's rather loud voice; that finally broke Cynthia out of her musings. As she averted her attention towards the Unova champion, she didn't fail to notice the knowing glance that he seemed to exchange with Lance, just before the joint region champion gave a little cough.

"Indeed, it does seem like a nice evening for a stroll," Lance replied, as he slowly rose from his seat, not before exchanging a glance, this time, with the Kalos champion. "Besides, after being stuck in those stuffy meetings all day, I feel that the fresh air will do us some good. Wouldn't you agree Mr Stone?"

She could see Lance avert his attention towards Steven, who looked slightly pensive at the question.

"Hmm…oh yes, I suppose."

Alder clapped his hands together, before rising from his seat and striding over towards where Steven was standing, Lance hot on his heels.

"Tell you what, why don't us guys go and get some fresh air?"

"That sounds like a splendid idea Alder," Diantha stated, before averting her gaze back towards her; the corner of her lips curled up on one end, rather smugly. "That means me and Cynthia here, can spend some time catching up."

Cynthia couldn't help the feeling of alarm that shot through her, at the rather devious look the Kalos champion was giving her. Was it just her imagination, or were they trying to purposefully split them up? Judging by the scenario that was playing out, it certainly seemed that way, and that was extremely worrying.

That wasn't to say that both her and Steven weren't capable of handling things separately, they could, but like Steven had said earlier, they were stronger together. In current circumstances, she felt that sticking together would be the wisest course of action, especially, since they were up against three people, who obviously had something planned.

However, if they were to be separated… Cynthia shuddered at the thought. She quickly tried to think up a response in order to stop the oncoming separation. Fortunately, Steven beat her to it.

"Well actually, I thought I would stay…"

"Nonsense," Alder bellowed, before throwing an arm over the Hoenn champion's shoulders, locking him into a rather tight grip. "Come on Stone, let's leave the women to their little chat shall we?"

Cynthia caught sight of Steven giving her a brief look of alarm. Poor man, he looked like a Stantler caught in headlights, startled and panicked. He probably had also cottoned on to what they were trying to do, and that's why he looked so startled. She tried to send him a reassuring look, but unfortunately, she was quite sure her expression wasn't that much better. She desperately tried to think up an excuse, any excuse, that could get them out of this situation, but she kept drawing a blank.

However, it was then too late, as she witnessed Steven being dragged away by the Unova champion, who still had his arm, slung over his shoulders, as Lance opened the door for them to pass through.

At the sound of the door closing behind them, Cynthia was now left to fend for herself against the Kalos champion. Normally, this wasn't a bad thing, as they tended to catch up on a regular basis, but judging by the rather smug and mischievous grin that Diantha was giving her at the moment, this wasn't going to be like the norm, and that was extremely disconcerting.

Admittedly though, if she really thought about it, she could probably take an educated guess as to what this was about. Judging by the timing, and the fact that both her and Steven seemed to have both been left in the dark, there was only one thing it could potentially be; hers and Steven's relationship. Even though Steven had tried to assure her that it might not be, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was, because why else would Diantha try and get her alone like this?

She supposed that Diantha had her suspicions about her and Steven; most people did, especially, considering how close they were. There'd been speculation about them for months, but they had paid no heed to it, as neither one of them cared much for gossip.

Truthfully, they had only been close friends until a few months ago, when one evening; their mutual attraction just seemed to…overspill. To be fair, neither one of them planned for it to happen, but it…just sort of did. After that rather…wonderful occasion, they'd decided to give their relationship a go. They'd been together ever since.

Even though it wasn't planned, she couldn't deny that she wasn't happy with the outcome, far from it. If she was honest, the past few months that they had been together, had been amazing, to say the least. She found that every moment she spent with Steven made her happy, and there was no question in her mind, that she had fallen in love with him, quite deeply.

However, considering who they were, they had both come to a mutual decision to try and keep their relationship private for the time being. What with them both being champions and Steven being heir to a major Company, they both could only imagine the publicity that they would receive from revealing the true nature of their relationship to the world; not to mention the teasing and scrutiny they would be subjected to.

Both she and Steven knew that the secret would eventually come out in some shape or form, they were well aware of that, but for the time being, they were content with keeping it quiet for a little longer, so that they could enjoy their relationship in relative solitude, before it became a public spectacle.

With that in mind, in order to maintain said privacy, they'd been extremely careful about showing any sort of affection in the presence of any of their acquaintances. Okay, she could admit that there had been a few little slips over the past few months and this week, the main one being that little make-out session that they had shared on Friday.

However, as far as she was aware, no one had caught them, as the door had been closed, and furthermore, they hadn't been gone for a length of time that would suggest something was going on; plus, no one had mentioned anything upon their return. As far as Cynthia could tell, both her and Steven, had done nothing in front of their fellow champions during their time here, that would suggest they were anything more than just close friends.

But then again, perhaps they were just fishing? She knew Diantha was suspicious; she'd be surprised if she wasn't, but maybe this whole charade was because she was just looking for confirmation? But then again, why would Alder and Lance be interested? No offence intended to the guys, but they didn't seem the type of men that would partake in something that involved romance.

Cynthia gave a little inward sigh, as Steven had said earlier, it was confusing to say the least. However, the problem was, that whatever they were trying to achieve, they were now attacking on two fronts.

She just hoped that Steven was going to be okay and could survive the pressure of whatever the other men were going to throw at him.

* * *

Steven couldn't help but grimace at the rather tight grip that the Unova champion still had around his shoulders, as he led him away from their accommodation. He glanced to his right, only to see Lance strolling alongside them, face stoically looking forward, acting like some form of bodyguard. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear he was being whisked away to be tortured.

Five minutes later, they did seem to finally come to a stop at the southern shoreline of the island, if the direction he'd been dragged in, was anything to go by.

"Well now, isn't that just a spectacular view," Alder stated with a low whistle, as he stared out across the ocean, before finally releasing his shoulders. "Wouldn't you agree Mr Stone?" With that question, Alder slapped him across the back, causing him to stumble slightly. Steven couldn't help but groan at the impact, the man seriously had to stop using him as a form of personal leaning and hitting post.

After recovering some of his equilibrium, Steven gave a heavy inward sigh, before finally raising his gaze to stare out over the horizon. He couldn't help become slightly mesmerized by the beautiful array of colours that reflected on the water's surface, as the sun slowly kissed the ocean as it set. It seemed Alder was indeed correct; the view was rather spectacular.

"You know, this place would be an ideal vacationing spot," Lance stated, before giving a little titter. "Although, the idea of coming here for dull meetings puts a sever damper on it. It's a shame really."

Alder gave a sharp bark of laughter and Steven couldn't help but give a little titter of his own at Lance's comments, for the man did have a very valid point. If it weren't for the unpleasant fact that the island was only used for holding rather torturous meetings, it would actually be quite the vacationing spot.

"But then again Lance, this island, would be the ideal sort of place to keep things private and secret. Wouldn't you agree Mr Stone?"

Steven was dragged out of his thoughts by Alder's boisterous voice. He removed his gaze from the ocean, only to encounter the questioning gaze of the Unova champion. At his look, Steven couldn't help but shift a little nervously on his feet, because the way that Alder was staring; made him feel highly uncomfortable. It seemed that he was subtly trying to hint at something, and Steven would lay his shirt on it, that it was about his relationship with the blonde champion.

It seemed that Cynthia was indeed correct; they were obviously plotting something, in order to try and get some sort of confession out of them. He guessed as much, when he was unwillingly dragged away from the sanctuary of their accommodation. This was obviously part of their plan all along; because they must have guessed, that they wouldn't have been able to obtain any information out of him or Cynthia, when they were together. So, the only logical way they could pull this off; was to separate them.

Problem now was, he may have guessed what they were trying to achieve, but he had no idea how far they were willing to go, in order to achieve what they had set out to do, and that, was extremely worrying. The best thing he could do now, was to try and act nonchalant and dismiss their suggestions, without letting his emotions crack.

"I'm…not quite sure what you mean by that…" Steven had to inwardly curse himself at his inability to form a complete, coherent sentence. This wasn't going to help in the slightest; he needed to be confident, not arouse their suspicions by being hesitant.

"Really?" Alder raised a sceptical eyebrow at him, before averting his gaze to the joint Kanto and Johto champion stood aside of him. "Well, I think it's quite obvious what I mean, wouldn't you agree Lance?"

"Indeed," Lance replied, giving a little nod in agreement, before the corner of his lips curled up into a smirk. "A place like this, away from prying eyes and nosy gossips, would definitely be an ideal place to have privacy."

Steven couldn't help but give a little gulp at the devious looks they were now both giving him. This wasn't good; they'd seen a chink in his emotional armour already. He needed to improve his defences and quickly, if he had any chance of surviving this.

He just hoped Cynthia was fairing better.

* * *

"It seems like ages since we had a proper catch up," Diantha stated, folding her arms together, before giving her a gentle smile. "So, how have you been?"

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little outward sigh.

"Well, I could so do without being stuck here for a fortnight, in these awful meetings."

Diantha gave a little chuckle at her sarcastic remark.

"Oh come now, I suppose it's not all bad," the brunette replied, before giving a little chuckle. "At least you're not alone in your despair."

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little titter at that herself. In one respect, she supposed the Kalos champion had a point.

"I guess there is that," she replied, before a small smile appeared over her lips. "But aside from that Diantha, I've been…" She tried to think up a suitable word that wouldn't subjugate her to more questioning. "…well."

Unfortunately, it seemed her plan didn't have the effect that she was hoping for, as the Kalos champion gave a little groan. Cynthia couldn't help but raise her eyebrow questionably at the sound.

"Just well? Really Cynthia, forgive me for being so blunt, but that is awful vague."

Judging by the rather disbelieving look that Diantha was giving her, she was obviously not appeased at all by her rather cryptic answer, and no doubt thought that the word she had used, simply wasn't appropriate enough.

"I think you have been more than well. In fact, it has come to my attention, that over the past few months, you've seemed more than that. You have seemed…far happier as a person, and dare I say...more outgoing." She raised one of her eyebrow's suspiciously. "Is there something that you'd like to share?"

Cynthia restrained the urge to widen her eyes at the brunette's claims. Well, she couldn't deny that she had been feeling a lot happier since she had started seeing Steven, but she didn't think it would have been that overly noticeable. Had she really been that obvious? This was a problem if she had, because it didn't bode well for them, what with them trying to keep their relationship a secret and all. If Diantha had caught onto her rather unusual extreme happiness, then others probably had as well, which was a major issue.

Although, if anyone actually had any physical proof; surely they would have made their sentiments known by now? However, no one had mentioned anything to her; (and as far as she was aware, not to Steven even;) nor had there been any inclinations of acknowledgement of any kind, that would suggest someone did know.

So, as far as she was concerned, it was still just speculation; therefore, it would seem that Diantha was just fishing for information, because there just seemed to be no plausible way that she could know. Anyway, she was positive that if Diantha knew, then she would have out rightly told her, because the woman was nothing if not direct.

Cynthia gave herself a mental shake; dwelling on the matter was not going to help her situation. Regardless of whether Diantha suspected or not, she needed to stop this line of enquiry immediately, before it delved any further into her personal life.

"What are you insinuating Diantha, because I'm not too sure what you mean?"

"Oh really?"

"Yes Diantha, really," she replied, while furrowing her brows slightly in confusion. "Happier? More outgoing? I'm not too sure what you are trying to get at here. I don't believe I've been any different than I usually am."

The Kalos champion crossed one leg over the other, as she leant further back into her chair, all the while, giving her a rather incredulous look.

"Hmm…well forgive me for not taking your word for it, but there is obviously something, because as much as you try and deny it dear friend, you have been acting differently; and I am most intrigued to hear why."

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little groan at the rather expectant look that Diantha was now giving her. She should have guessed, that the woman wasn't going to let her get out of this situation that easily.

She gave a heavy sigh; she just hoped that Steven was surviving better.

* * *

Steven really wished that he could teleport right about now, or fly, or maybe even dig…anything to get him out of the situation he now found himself in. He needed to seriously get a grip, but unfortunately, his rather inept lack of solid responses, wasn't helping his situation in the slightest.

"I'm sure an intelligent man like yourself could see the positives of that," Alder stated, before giving a little chuckle. "I mean, you've got to admit, unpleasant meetings aside, this secluded island could be considered a romantic paradise for couples."

Steven's eyes widened in shock, as he nearly choked upon hearing Alder's words. Never in his wildest imagination, would he have believed that the Unova champion would utter such words.

"I'm sure a handsome young man like you Steven, would probably understand. Why, I bet you have a girlfriend already."

Steven had to seriously restrain the urge to blush at Alder's rather direct statement. Under normal circumstances, he probably would have felt quite flattered by the Unova champion's comments. However, in the current situation, he felt anything but, because he knew, that this was another subtle attempt to try and coerce him into giving away his secret.

He was determined not to cave that easily, even if the man was spot-on with his accusations. Although, he knew that both Alder and Lance, weren't going to give in that easily, they could both be quite ruthless when they were after something. So, with that in mind, he knew he had to stop this line of enquiry quickly, and the only way to achieve that, was to deny absolutely everything.

Steven steeled himself internally, before giving a little cough in order to clear his throat, as he levelled the two men with a steady gaze.

"Uh…that's quite flattering of you to say Alder, but I must disappoint you, because I don't."

Alder gave him a rather incredulous look of surprise.

"Really?"

Steven gave a little nod in assurance. At said nod, he heard Lance give a little huff in disbelief.

"Forgive me for my impudence, but that surprises me, because I'm sure that there are hundreds of women out there that have their eyes set on you, and yet you claim you are unattached?"

Once again, he gave a little nod, before giving a little shrug of his shoulders for emphasis, as a sheepish smile crossed his face. Sometimes, Steven found that actions were far better than words, because words could sometimes be twisted and interpreted wrongly, in order to gain a certain outcome; and as far as he was concerned, this was such an occasion.

He'd hoped, that if he acted kind of clueless and sheepish, then perhaps they would assume that he was telling them the truth, when in actual fact, he wasn't. His hopes of success rose, when he witnessed Alder and Lance glance at each other. Maybe they had fallen for it? However, he couldn't be certain, because judging by the way that they were looking at each other, he would swear that they were conversing.

Moments passed, before Lance finally gave a little nod of his head. Steven had to furrow his brows at that little exchange. What were they planning now? They'd obviously come to some sort of decision, but what? He gave a little inward shake of his head, no matter, whatever it was; he had to keep his guard up.

Steven didn't have to wait long, as the Unova champion finally averted his gaze back towards him, with a wide and slightly devious smile stretched across his face.

"Well, not to worry Mr Stone, me and Lance here can help you. I mean; I know a few females I could introduce you to and I'm sure Lance does too."

"Indeed. In fact, I know quite a few women who would be ecstatic with such a chance."

Steven could feel his eyes widening in alarm at their suggestions. Why he thought they'd be fooled by his little act, he didn't know, perhaps that was just wishful thinking on his part? He should have guessed that they'd have something else up their sleeves. (Contrary to popular belief, they were both quite intelligent men; they weren't regional champions for nothing.)

"Uh…that's a very kind offer, and I appreciate it…really I do, but…but I…I must politely decline," he managed to stutter out. He cursed himself for his rather flustered response, as he caught sight of the both of them staring at him, each with a raised eyebrow.

"And may we enquire as to why that is, Mr Stone?"

"Indeed, both Alder and I, are willing to help you, and yet…"

At their joint questionable looks, Steven couldn't help but shift a little nervously on his feet. He desperately tried to form a sentence that could justify his negative response, but even though his mouth was opening and closing, no words seemed to want to come out. Where had that smooth, steely demeanour of his gone? He was used to dealing with things under pressure on a regular basis, but now all of a sudden, it just seemed to have gone sailing off into the distance.

Problem was, his unusual nervousness and fluster was not unnoticed. Both men had picked up on it instantly, and now, he just knew they were going to make him pay for it, especially, if their joint smirks were anything to go by.

"Hmm…is it just me, or are you deliberately trying to avoid our help for a specific reason? Is it because you are worried?"

Steven could feel a surge of panic rise inside him, as he flickered his gaze between the two males, whose smirks had now grown substantially larger.

"Or is it; that you are already with someone, and you just don't want us to know, because you are desperately trying to hide it, because it's with someone that we all know very well?"

Steven's eyes widened in alarm, as a flush began to creep into his cheeks. What could he say to that? They had managed to trap him into a corner. He needed to think up a response quickly, in order to deflect the question. Unfortunately though, his mind just seemed to be drawing a blank.

But then it didn't matter anymore, because it was too late, as the Unova champion delivered the final damming blow.

"That someone; being a certain blonde that we know, perhaps? One, who has a rather strong penchant for mythology and destroying trainers hopes and dreams with a feisty Garchomp."

Crack.

Steven could almost feel the gaping hole that Alder's words had created in his emotional wall, as a tidal wave of embarrassment flooded throughout him, his cheeks reddening into a deep blush. Unfortunately, his reaction only seemed to send his tormentors into a round of laughter at his expense.

He gave a heavy internal sigh of defeat; sorry Cynthia, I've failed.

* * *

If there were one word that Cynthia would use to describe this situation, it would be uncomfortable.

She was used to the brunette asking rather pointed questions, but this was turning more into an interrogation. Seriously, the woman was like an Arcanine chasing a bone; she just wouldn't let it go. But then again, she should have suspected this, because how long had she known Diantha now?

Out of all of their acquaintances, Diantha was actually one of the ones she feared the most, who would find out about her and Steven, because contrary to appearance, the Kalos champion was quite observant; and was quite possibly the only person, (aside from Steven of course,) who could get information out of her, sometimes even against her own will.

"You know, come to think of it, I can only think of one thing that would make someone far more happier than they normally would be." The brunette unfolded her arms, as one hand came up towards her face, as she tapped one of her fingers against her chin in thought. "Maybe, your happiness is because you have finally taken a genuine interest in someone."

If Cynthia had been drinking something, she would have surely have spat it out at the brunette's rather bold assessment. She wasn't going to go there surely?

"Hmm…yes indeed. Perhaps you have finally found some affection towards someone, and you are just slightly embarrassed about telling me."

Yes…she was definitely going there. Cynthia gave an inward groan, but honestly, she really shouldn't have expected anything less from her; the woman was nothing if not tenacious.

It was quite obvious that Diantha was trying to get a rise out of her, or any sort of reaction that would confirm her suspicions. Even though she was actually spot-on with her assumptions, Cynthia was determined not to cave under her extreme questioning, no matter how tenacious she was. There was a reason why she was known as Sinnoh's indomitable champion; and she was going to need all of that composure, right now.

Cynthia steeled her features, as she steadily gazed at the woman sat aside of her.

"Honestly Diantha, I have no idea why you are suggesting such things. You know I have no time for that," she replied, with a false hint of incredulity in her voice, just for effect. "In fact, I haven't even thought about it at all."

"Really?" Diantha gave her a look of bewilderment. "Are you honestly telling me, that you haven't thought about it?"

Cynthia gave a little nod at her question. She could hear the brunette give a loud sound of disbelief at her response.

"Oh come now, you cannot tell me that there isn't someone out there that has caught your interest?"

She nodded her head again.

"Sorry to disappoint you Diantha," she replied, giving her a rather sheepish grin for added effect.

At her response, she could see the brunette give a little huff, as she folded her arms once again, before narrowing her eyes slightly at her rather dismissive answer.

"It seems to me Cynthia, that you are deliberately trying to avoid my questioning for some reason," she questioned, with a slight hint of suspicion within her tone. "Perhaps, it's because this topic of conversation is making you uncomfortable?" Diantha unfolded her arms once again, as her lips curled up slightly. "Or is it, because you are already involved with someone secretly?"

Cynthia could feel herself freeze, as her eyes widened, almost unconsciously, at the rather devious look the brunette was now sporting.

"Hmm…perhaps it's because you are involved with someone that I am acquainted with."

Cynthia couldn't help but nervously shift in her seat. She could feel a mild panic begin to steadily build up inside her. Where had her composure gone?

"Someone who is quite well known perhaps?"

She could see the smirk begin to grow across Diantha's face even more. This was bad…exceptionally bad. She couldn't know, there was just no way… At her lack of response, the Kalos champion ploughed on ahead.

"And maybe, it's someone who shares quite similar interests to you?"

Cynthia desperately tried to think up a response, any response, to stop the Kalos champion, but in her panicked state, her mind had gone completely blank. Unfortunately, this lack of response; was her final undoing, as the smirk grew substantially larger across Diantha's face, before the brunette leant forward into her personal space, eyes firmly locked onto her panicked ones.

"That someone; being a certain tousled haired, blue eyed, smartly dressed, rich, Hoennese gentleman, perhaps?"

That was it, the magical key phrase. Cynthia could feel her whole face furiously heat up in embarrassment. She desperately tried to form some form of words, but she just couldn't seem to find any. She was quite sure, she must have looked very similar to a Magikarp floundering out of water. She couldn't believe it; she'd been played; she just knew Steven was going to be mortified.

By this point, the infuriating Kalos champion, had comfortably settled back into her seat; laughing at the look of mortification that had spread over her face.

Damn it all to hell!

* * *

Steven was embarrassed; well…he supposed the more appropriate word, would have probably been mortified. Even though he hadn't verbally confirmed it, he didn't need too, as he was sure that his expression had more than seen to that.

"Well Alder, I think we just hit the jackpot," Lance stated with a slight chuckle.

"I do believe we did Lance, I do believe we did," Alder replied with a chuckle of his own, as he patted the joint region champion on the back, in a form of congratulations.

Steven gave another heavy sigh as he averted his gaze away from his amused colleagues, in order to stare at the sand below his feet. He couldn't believe himself; he had actually folded like a set of cards. He could kick himself for his weakness. He could only imagine the disappointment Cynthia would feel at him, and that was the one thing, he couldn't bear to face.

After moments of a severe lack of response from him, the Unova champion, finally walked over to him and slung his arm over his shoulders, just like he had done earlier.

"I've got to say though Stone, we are immensely proud of you," Alder stated, before giving a low whistle. "I mean, you and Cynthia? Man…"

"Indeed, quite a match if you ask me," Lance replied, before striding over and clapping Steven on the opposite shoulder, to where Alder was standing.

"Quite so Lance, quite so," Alder commented, before giving his shoulders a squeeze. "In fact, I don't think I could picture either of you with anyone else."

At their words of acceptance, Steven finally raised his head, only to encounter the duo giving him gentle smiles.

"You have no need to fear Mr Stone, you'll face no ridicule or scrutiny from us."

"Alder is correct, you have nothing to be embarrassed about; we are fully on board with you two being together."

Steven could see Alder nodding in agreement. At their obvious sign of support and acceptance, he couldn't help but give them a little smile in thanks. Perhaps they'd been wrong to hide it from their colleagues after all? Maybe all that fear of being teased and scrutinized mercifully, was all for nothing?

However, he was disrupted from his thoughts by a little cough. As his attention returned to the Unova champion, his smile instantly disappeared, at the little smirk that had once again crossed Alder's lips.

"Tell you what, why don't we head back and share the joyous news? You know, I could go for a nice drink right about now," Alder stated, before giving his shoulders another little squeeze. "Come along Mr Stone, let's get you back to that girlfriend of yours, shall we?" Alder continued, before giving him a wink and a cheeky grin. "And who knows, maybe you'll be lucky tonight."

Steven gave a groan, as the mortification rose within him again. He couldn't help but lower his head again, as he heard the laughter erupt from both men, before he could feel himself being dragged away once again by the Unova champion, Lance in tow.

He really should have known better, he should have guessed they wouldn't let this go that easily; and judging by the rather amused laughter that was still reverberating around him, he, or rather him and Cynthia, probably weren't going to hear the end of this, anytime soon.

Oh, how wonderful.

* * *

Cynthia couldn't help the feeling of mortification that was running through her, as she listened to the continuous laughter of the Kalos champion. She should have seen this coming. She knew they were all up to something, but this… She could feel her embarrassment evolving into ire, as it slowly began building up inside of her.

"You…you…" she managed to stutter out, rather unsuccessfully, trying to articulate a response towards the rather smug woman, who had stopped laughing, and was now looking at her questionably.

"You…you…what?"

If she didn't know better, she would say that the brunette was concerned about her reaction, but unfortunately, she did know her better, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Diantha was enjoying tormenting her like this, far too much for her own liking.

"You knew all along and yet you continued with this…this…"

"I didn't know for sure, Cynthia. I had my suspicions yes, but I wasn't a hundred percent positive until the other day, until I witnessed that rather, flirtatious exchange you shared on the sofa with our resident Hoenn champion. Then I just sort of figured it out. All I was looking for today was confirmation; and now I have it, right from the source itself."

At her confession, Cynthia couldn't help but narrow her eyes, before throwing a sharp glare in the brunette's direction. This had to be a rather cruel joke of some kind, surely? For the past two days, Diantha, and she suspected Lance and Alder too, had made hers and Steven's lives hell, because they had wanted to prove that they were an item? No way was she impressed, and she wanted to make that quite clear to her rather pompous friend, as she continued to glare at her, narrowing her eyes more for effect.

However, it seemed that her unimpressed glare didn't have the impact she was aiming for, as Diantha merely rolled her eyes, before giving her an incredulous look in return.

"Oh don't give me that look, I was only doing it out of the goodness of my heart, for both yours and Steven's sake; because look at the freedom it has given you?"

Her glare of agitation slowly morphed into one of confusion at Diantha's words. What the hell did she mean? How was embarrassing the hell out of her and making both her and Steven feel uneasy, help them exactly? And more importantly, what did she mean by freedom?

It seemed that Diantha had noticed her rather confused expression, as she leant forward in her seat; reaching out to take her right hand into her own, before giving it a light squeeze in reassurance.

"Yes, freedom Cynthia, because I know you were both keeping it a secret in order to stop any unwanted attention. Don't get me wrong, I respect that Cynthia, I really do, as I hold both you and Steven in very high regard; and I would never do anything that would compromise either of your privacy."

Cynthia lowered her gaze to her lap, as the Kalos champion continued.

"But I…or we I should say, as both Lance and Alder know too, as you have probably figured out; just wanted to let you know, that you both no longer have to hide this from us, we are all perfectly fine with it, and that if you want to spend the remaining time here acting like a couple, then go ahead, your secret is safe with us."

She raised her embarrassed gaze back towards the Kalos champion once again, only to encounter the brunette giving her a rather serene smile.

"There's no need to be embarrassed dear, we are all extremely happy for you. As far as we are all concerned, you and Steven, are perfect for each other; and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." With that, Diantha gave her hand another squeeze, before releasing it altogether, as she leant back into her seat once again, crossing one leg over the other, as her smile slowly morphed into a smirk. "Put it this way, at least you'll get some enjoyment out of spending time at these meetings after all."

With that parting sentence, the Kalos champion gave her a little suggestive wink, before she once again, burst into laughter at the rather prominent blush that had deepened across her face. How many more times was she going to be embarrassed by her so called friend today?

Thankfully, Cynthia was saved from anymore ridicule by the sound of the door opening. As they both averted their attention to the doorway, she witnessed Lance stroll in rather triumphantly, followed by Alder, who was leading a rather defeated Steven back inside, arm once again firmly locked around his shoulders.

Cynthia couldn't help the look of alarm that flashed across her face at her boyfriend's demeanour.

"What the…" but her question was interrupted by the Kalos champion.

"Ah gentlemen, you are back. How was your stroll?"

Lance gave a smug smirk, as Alder gave a sharp bark of laughter.

"It was informative let me tell you," Alder replied, before giving Steven a squeeze around the shoulders. "Isn't that right, Mr Stone?"

Steven groaned.

"It was indeed very informative. And I do believe we have confirmation," Lance smugly replied. "And how did your little chat go?"

"Oh, it went rather wonderfully, wouldn't you agree Cynthia?"

Diantha raised one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows at her, but she could only glare at her in return. However, this only seemed to set the Kalos champion off into another fit of laughter, which ultimately, set off her co-conspirators too. Cynthia couldn't help but give a little groan.

Meanwhile, Steven had finally shrugged off Alder's arm, only to stumble over to the sofa, before literally, throwing himself onto the seat next to her. He looked awful, almost like he'd been run over by a Donphan quite a few times. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, before his rather defeated gaze landed onto hers.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't withstand it any longer. I shamefully admit I caved."

He seemed to avert his gaze back to his lap, almost as if he was ashamed because he had failed her; which she found highly ludicrous, because he had no reason to be. Cynthia gave a little sigh, he had nothing to be sorry about; it wasn't like she had survived either. She was just about to say something in order to comfort him, when she was rudely interrupted once again.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that Steven, you aren't the only one that caved."

Cynthia shot a glare at the Kalos champion again, but Diantha seemed highly unperturbed and highly unapologetic, as she rose from her chair and headed towards her other male colleagues, who had made their way over, to now stand behind the other sofa, directly opposite them.

She glared at the lot of them, before her attention returned to the man sat next to her, who had now removed his eyes from his lap. When her eyes finally connected with his, her gaze softened, as she gave him a small smile in reassurance, before reaching out to cup his cheek in her hand.

"It's okay Steven, you have nothing to be sorry for. I didn't survive either."

* * *

Steven's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected show of affection she was bestowing on him, right in front of their other colleagues. But then again, hadn't they both just admitted that the secret was out?

"There's no need to apologize, they all know already," she stated, before giving him a rather sheepish grin. "Apparently, we weren't as opaque as we thought we were."

"You can say that again."

At the abrupt answer that came from Alder, he and Cynthia both turned towards their colleagues, who were now stood there with their arms folded, watching the whole exchange unfold with gentle smiles stretched across their faces.

"Alder is indeed correct, albeit rather bluntly, but correct," Lance replied, as Diantha gave a little nod of her head in agreement.

"So, you mean to tell us, this whole charade over the past two days, all that smirking and glances, was all a plot to try and coerce us into revealing that we are a couple?"

"Well…not to put too much of a fine point on it, but…yes, yes we did," Alder replied, with a little titter.

Upon hearing Alder's response, Steven couldn't help the feeling of bewilderment and disbelief that rose inside of him. He couldn't believe it, all of this cloak and dagger routine just for confirmation? Seriously, were they really that bored?

"If you wanted to know so desperately, why all this charade? Why didn't you just ask us?"

"Would you have admitted it to us if we had? I mean, you were going to great lengths in order to try and hide it after all," Diantha replied, with a sceptical raise of her eyebrow.

* * *

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little groan internally, even though she loathed admitting it, Diantha did have a point; and it seemed she wasn't the only one that thought so, as she heard her boyfriend give a heavy sigh.

"Besides, we thought it would be fun to provoke you a little," the Kalos champion stated, as she gave them a rather amused smile. "Because let's face it, the rest of us had to find something to keep ourselves amused over the coming week."

At that confession, Cynthia couldn't help the feeling of annoyance that began to bubble up inside her, as she replayed Diantha's words inside her head. She'd guessed that they would be subjected to some sort of teasing if people found out, but using their relationship as a form of entertainment? That, in her opinion, was taking it a little too far. Seriously, she wouldn't have guessed her colleagues would stoop so low.

With that thought, Cynthia narrowed her eyes into a steely glare.

"You mean to tell us, you concocted all of this, just for your own amusement."

At her rather flat tone, Diantha gave her a rather incredulous look.

"Don't be ridiculous Cynthia, it wasn't the only reason," she stated, before a little smirk appeared in the corner of her lips. "Like I told you earlier, we just want you both to be happy." The smirk she was sporting grew substantially larger. "However, that isn't to say that we can't tease you a little." The Kalos champion then glanced towards the men stood aside of her. "Isn't that right, gentlemen?"

They both gave a little nod in agreement.

"Indeed. In fact, I believe it is customary and considered quite healthy."

"Of course, what type of friends would we be, if we didn't consider your health and happiness?" Alder stated, before clicking his fingers together. "Here's a thought; now that we all know, why don't you two move in together? You know that way, you can spend more of your time together."

"Indeed, that is a rather good suggestion Alder," Diantha replied, with a tilt of her head in thought. "Maybe we should just let you two share the back bedroom next to the bottom bathroom. That way, you can be together, like that, shall we say, without us knowing."

"We will even help move your things, if you so wish us to," Lance chimed in, with click of his fingers.

"But remember, if you are moving in together, just remember to keep it down. We maybe happy for you, but we don't want to know the extent of your happiness."

"That's a very good point Alder. Maybe we should get a sort of sign made for them, so that they can put it up on the door as a warning."

"Hmm…that's quite plausible Lance, but perhaps we should just designate them a time? Like lights out or something?"

"Well there's a thought. Perhaps you two could consider this as being a sort of dry run, a sort of try out, for when you do eventually move in together."

"Good thinking Alder."

At their rather suggestive comments, Cynthia could feel the embarrassment rising within her again, as she lowered her head into the palms of her hands with a groan. She was quite sure her face must have looked like a Cheri Berry by now. She could hear Steven give a little groan from the side of her.

As she lifted her head away from her hands, she observed her boyfriend lowering his head into his hands, before giving out another groan. He obviously wasn't taking this well, but she could hardly blame him, because she wasn't too thrilled either, however, she seemed to be coping with it a lot better than he was.

She knew well enough that Steven didn't respond well to teasing at the best of times, (she suspected that that had a lot to do with having to deal with such an annoying gym leader in Hoenn on a regular basis,) but this, was on a whole new level, this was more personal, and it wasn't just directed at him. If she had to guess, this was what he was most annoyed about.

Cynthia reached out towards him, as she ran a hand through his steely blue locks in comfort. At the feeling, Steven raised his head from where it was buried within his hands, in order to lock gazes with her once again. She could clearly see the agitation clearly displayed on his face.

She reached out once again, this time taking his right hand into one of hers, intertwining their fingers together; before giving him a little squeeze in reassurance, as a little smile appeared over her lips. She could see the agitation on his face, slowly turning into confusion at her smile. She couldn't help but give his hand another squeeze.

In one respect, they knew this was coming, it was just unfortunate that it came a little too early for their liking. But regardless of the bad timing, she wanted to reassure him, that even though this situation was embarrassing and slightly mortifying to some degree, he had nothing to fear, because this wouldn't change anything between them. Like he had said to her earlier today, no matter what obstacles came their way, they would handle it together, because they were stronger as a coherent unit.

Cynthia guessed her message must have finally got through to him, as his look of confusion slowly began to dissipate, while his whole body seemed to relax, before he gave her hand a squeeze in return, a little content smile now spreading across his lips. She couldn't help but squeeze his hand again in return, as they slowly lost themselves within each other's gazes.

Unfortunately, their rather serene moment was soon rudely disrupted.

"You know you two, if you want us to disappear, just say, we can take a hint."

She and Steven tore their gazes off each other, as they whipped their heads around once again, only to be met with three rather smug grins.

"I have to agree with Lance, if you want to be together like that, we can take the hint," Diantha replied, before curling her lips upwards slightly. "Although, if you don't mind, could you wait until we have left the room and in a section of the house where we can't hear you."

"I second that."

"I triple agree to that," Alder replied with a titter, before he clicked his fingers together. "Also, if you wouldn't mind, could you both keep to using that sofa? I mean, no offence intended, but I like sitting on this other one, and I will be severely disappointed, if I can no longer lounge on it anymore, because you two have been all couple-y on it."

"Oh, that is a very good point Alder. See you two, another good reason for you both to move into that back bedroom together."

"Yes indeed. I think we should start helping them pack as soon as possible."

"Totally in agreement Lance. Maybe we should start right away. No time like the present."

"Quite so. So now then…"

Cynthia couldn't help but give another groan at their colleagues relentless teasing. Was this what she and Steven were going to have to deal with now on a regular basis? Judging by the way that their fellow champions were acting…then yes, yes it was. She gave another heavy sigh, this was exactly why; they had both tried so valiantly to keep it a secret in the first place. She vaguely wondered if the committee would notice three missing champions at tomorrow's meeting?

She felt Steven give her hand another a little squeeze. At his gesture, she glanced towards him once again, only to see the same thing reflected within his eyes. She couldn't help but give him a little amused smile. In retrospect, if she thought about it, even though they'd have to endure some teasing from their three colleagues, in the long run, it was actually quite a relief that their fellow champions knew, because at least now, they could spend their time together here, actually being a couple.

The hardest part of their relationship, was actually trying to keep it a secret from everyone. Of course, they had their reasons, very good ones at that, but it would be nice for once, to be able to show their affection for each other when they wanted too, instead of having to sneak away or hide. Judging by the little smile that had appeared over her boyfriend's face, he must have been thinking along the same lines. She squeezed his hand in return.

Cynthia couldn't help but think, that the remainder of her time spent here at these meetings, weren't going to be as bad as she had originally thought, especially, if it meant that she could now snuggle up into her boyfriend's arms after them.

Although, there was one thing, she could so do without all the teasing it brought with it…

* * *

 **And there we are...the conclusion to Meetings and Suspicions.**

 **I hope it lived up to expectations. I think it made more sense to have this part told from Cynthia's and Steven's point of view, because of course, they had no idea what was coming, because it was a pact between Diantha, Lance and Alder that was made in the previous chapter.**

 **So how'd you all find it? Hope it wasn't too confusing and that it gave a satisfactory conclusion to that specific story.**

 **There was a request to have another story with their children, who I first introduced in The Battle chapter, and their interaction with either Steven's father or Cynthia's grandmother and sister. Fear not, this chapter is in the works, it just needs to be completed and tweaked, but it is under construction.**

 **Until next time loyal readers...**


	19. Garchomp

**Hello once again!**

 **Quite a quick turnaround once again, well for me anyway. Since I was off work for a few days, I managed to be able to get this partly written story finished.**

 **So with regards to this story, as all my previous ones** **have been told all from human point of views, I thought, why not have one from a pokemon's? So, this particular one, as the** **title suggests, is actually being told from Garchomp's point of view. Yes I know that pokemon cannot talk, but that doesn't mean they can't think and remember. So, that's what this story is focussed around.**

 **This probably sounds confusing, but I'm sure if you read it, you will get the gist.**

 **It was actually quite a challenge to write from this perspective, but I wanted to try something different, so hopefully I've done it justice.**

 **I won't say much more here, as it will spoil it for you.**

 **I'm rating it K+ as there isn't really anything in here really that merits a warning.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Garchomp stared incredulously at the thing in front of her. Thankfully, at present, 'it' was still and quiet, which was an extreme blessing, because peace had been something that had been extremely lacking, since 'it' arrived into their household.

She supposed she should refer to 'it' by the appropriate name, but after five days and nights of disrupted rest time, the derogatory name seemed to appeal greatly to the land shark pokemon at the present moment.

Although, maybe she was being a tad bit too harsh, because 'it' had been anticipated for quite a few months now. Of course, she had been prepared for this new addition, as had everyone else, well…maybe, but still, they'd been ready. However, she'd overlooked one of the major things that 'it' would bring; and that was the long hours of work, disruption and noise.

Garchomp gave a little growl at the unpleasant thought. She supposed she could go and hide, like the vast majority of the others tended to do when the situation became a little overwhelming, but then again, she'd never fled from a battle in her life, and she didn't intend to start now. Besides, she was her trainer's most trusted pokemon, she'd stood by her since the beginning, and she would continue to stand by her now, regardless.

On the positive side, she couldn't complain in one sense, because she wasn't the only pokemon that had made a valiant effort to withstand 'its' reign of disruption. Garchomp quickly glanced behind her, to where her trainer's companion's lead pokemon was resting.

Its eyes were shut; legs curled inwards, as it floated a few inches off the ground. Even though it was still, she was sure; that at the first sign of any sort of movement or noise, the steel behemoth would be instantly alert. Garchomp couldn't help but shake her head slightly though at the sight, how the steel titan could rest like that, bewildered the hell out of her. But she digressed; she couldn't really begrudge the steel type its rest, in fact, she hoped that it would last a lot longer, for both of their sakes.

Garchomp returned her gaze to the source of all the recent disruption in their household; who was still, thankfully, asleep. She leaned in closer in order to get a better look, while 'it' continued to blissfully slumber, unaware of her perusal. To think that something this small could make such a disturbance was bewildering. However, this little thing, regardless of its constant demands, provided much joy to her trainer, so she supposed she couldn't grumble too much.

Still, it amazed her to think that her, the fearless Sinnoh Champion's matriarch pokemon, had now resorted to this. In one respect, she knew it would come eventually, but honestly, she wouldn't have banked on it being this soon. Where had the time gone? How the years had seemed to fly by.

It had only seemed like yesterday, since she had met her trainer for the first time, when she was still just a Gible, and her trainer a mere child.

* * *

She could remember the day vividly; she'd been looking for food, when she was suddenly approached by this bright haired, dark eyed little girl; holding out an array of berries in her hand, whilst behind her, stood an elder gentleman with a white lab coat, speaking words of encouragement to her.

It had been a strange encounter for her, because normally, she would've turned around and run away, just like she had done to many trainers before hand, but there had just been something in that young girl's eyes that called to her. It was as if there was an inner fire inside her, a hidden power that was waiting patiently to be unleashed. In that moment, she had realized; that this little girl was special.

With that, she had gladly approached her and taken the berries that day, and there birthed the strong mutual respect and friendship that they now shared. In those early days, she could remember the long hours they had spent together learning about each other, and then the long preparations they made for their upcoming journey.

Then the day arrived, as they finally set off on their journey; full of excitement and wonder at what was to come. She could remember those early emotions rather well; the exhilaration they felt as they won their first battle together against a young trainer and his Bidoof. The feeling of elation her trainer had at capturing her first pokemon, a Starly.

However, then came the bad, as she recalled the tears her trainer first shed, as they suffered their first loss to a wandering trainer with a Dratini. Garchomp gave a low growl, there was no denying that it had hurt; it still did, even now, because all she could picture was the solemn look that her trainer had had. From that day forward though, she had made a vow, to make sure her trainer would never look like that again.

So, after that loss, came a whirlwind of constant training and battling. No trainer was left un-battled, no hour wasted, as they strove to get stronger and more powerful. Many more defeats came, but they were outweighed by the successes. Gradually, they both became stronger. Garchomp could still remember the look of immense pride on her trainer's face when she first evolved into a Gabite, the same look that once again appeared when she had finally reached her status now. It was also, the same look she'd witnessed every time one of her teammates evolved or grew stronger too.

Speaking of teammates, Garchomp could vividly remember when they had joined her. There was Roserade, who had only been a little Budew, who they'd first encountered in the grasslands just outside Floaroma Town; Lucario, who had been a sprightly young Riolu, who hatched from an egg given to her trainer, by a young man called Riley; Gastrodon, who had been traded as a Shellos; Spiritomb, who had tried to frighten the living daylights out her trainer one evening; right down to Milotic, who had been a measly Feebas, her trainer had caught one afternoon when fishing.

Together, they had all joined as one coherent unit, to aid in their trainer's quest to become the best. There'd of course been highs and lows, laughter and tears, pain and happiness, but throughout it all, they had stuck together and had strived on. Cities and towns searched, mountains scaled, oceans surfed and caves dug through; they all seemed to pass in a mass blur; but still, they martyred on.

Then the ultimate challenge began, as they finally faced the Sinnoh League. It was tough, but they were determined to see it through, no matter how much it hurt, because the reward at the end was worth it. One by one, badge after badge, each gym was conquered, as the bonds between them grew stronger, and somewhere along the way, her trainer had matured and blossomed, from that little hesitant child, into a beautiful, intelligent, independent and headstrong young woman.

They took the Sinnoh world by storm, as they tore through the Elite Four to finally reach the ultimate challenge; the battle for the Champion title, against the man she had seen her trainer with on the day that they had first met; Professor Rowan. The battle wasn't going to be easy, but they had come that far; there was no way they were going to surrender.

Then it happened. She had struck the final blow and that was it; it was all over. They had won. There had been mass applause, cheers, streamers and banners of congratulations, but all Garchomp could remember, was the look of immense happiness and relief that had spread across her trainer's face, as tears streamed out of her eyes. She could remember shedding a few too, as her trainer threw her arms around her in celebration. All those long hours of travelling, training and battling had finally paid off. They'd finally made it to the top. They were Champions.

To this day, she could still remember the feeling of overwhelming joy and warmth that her trainer's embrace had brought her. On that day, she had made another vow, that now they'd made it to the top, she'd try her hardest to make sure that they stayed there; and she'd yet to break that promise.

After that huge success, their whole world seemed to change. No longer was her trainer an unknown challenger from Celestic Town; now she was Sinnoh's indomitable Champion. It seemed her original thought about her trainer being special, had indeed been proved correct.

This title had then, also allowed them the freedom to roam between regions at their own will, where they got to meet new people and challengers. In fact, this was how she had first met him, her now, significant other. He'd been a Champion then, just like her trainer, but from the Hoenn region.

Garchomp couldn't help but give a little smirk, as she remembered her trainer issuing him a battle challenge upon their first meeting. She'd remembered his look of surprise at the rather bold request, before eventually accepting her trainer's offer, if only out of polite courtesy.

Thinking back on it now, it had been a rather hard fought battle; one that they had only marginally won, when she had taken out, her now fellow colleague, Metagross, with a perfectly executed Draco Meteor. To be fair, it had been a really hard challenge, one that they hadn't really had since they'd been crowned Champions. It had been refreshing to say the least.

After their hard earned victory, he had offered to buy her trainer dinner, as a sort of loser's treat, to which her trainer had agreed. Garchomp gave a little snort at the memory; that had been the first invitation of many that were to follow, from both sides.

Even though she was a pokemon, she could clearly see the spark of attraction that existed between her trainer and the Hoenn Champion from the offset. Garchomp had been slightly fearful at first for her trainer's sake, but she needn't have been. In fact, the only concern that she had; was that they had too much in common. It was uncanny, but they just seemed to be alike in so many ways.

Of course, it was a given, that from that day forward, her trainer had kept in frequent correspondence with him, which he reciprocated with the same enthusiasm. Garchomp had to admit, it had been a rather unusual, but pleasant change, because her trainer had been so used to ploughing through life alone…well, she had her and the rest of the team, and of course she had made acquaintances, but she'd never had any humans she could call a close friend, until she met him.

Garchomp couldn't deny, that she'd been slightly envious at first of her trainer's attention now being divided. However, after seeing how her trainer seemed to be a happier person after interacting with him, she found that she couldn't begrudge her for it, because at long last, her trainer had found someone who she could interact with as a human. There was finally someone who could speak the same language as her, and someone she could just be herself around. If the man could make her trainer happy by simply spending time with her, then Garchomp figured she could live with a little less attention.

As the months seemed to pass, the frequency of their contact seemed to substantially increase. What started as just long distance phone calls, had now morphed into something more; as their time spent together saw them venturing into caves and ruins together; sharing long hours researching into the past and just generally spending their time together, talking and relaxing, as they basked in each other's presence. Garchomp had to admit, it was heartening to see her trainer finally spending time with someone who shared the same outlooks on life.

However, during this entire time, Garchomp hadn't failed to notice; that the more time her trainer spent with the Hoenn Champion, the closer they became, as the attraction between them deepened. Upon witnessing this, she knew it was inevitable that something would eventually happen between them; it was only a matter of time.

Then the inevitable did happen, on an evening when he had been visiting Sinnoh. They'd been taking a leisurely stroll around Lake Acuity, when he had leant in to kiss her trainer for the first time, to which she had responded quite eagerly too.

Garchomp cringed slightly, as she remembered the feeling of appalled astonishment she had felt at witnessing that exchange. In one respect, she knew it had been coming, but it still didn't mean she had been ready for it. Although, she couldn't help but give a little snicker, at the expression that Metagross had been sporting at the time as well, it seemed that the steel behemoth, had been just as equally surprised and bewildered at the scene.

Their trainers had eventually pulled apart, but not for long, as her trainer seemed to return the favour, by then kissing him. Garchomp understood that this was a common way for two humans who had feelings for each other, to express their affections for one another, but still… Only one thought seemed to have registered in her mind; humans could be rather disgusting.

After that rather…uncomfortable display, thus began a lot of travelling between their regions, in order for them to spend time together. Regardless of the distance and the gruelling travelling, she'd been thrilled for her trainer, although, the displays of affection in her presence, she could have so done without. She wanted her trainer to be happy, but honestly, there were some things that she didn't need to witness.

The months seemed to pass; the trips to Hoenn seemed to decrease, as his presence in Sinnoh seemed to increase. It came to a point, where his presence was no longer a surprise, but more like a given; so much so, that Garchomp had noticed the days he wasn't there, more so than the days he was. In the end it seemed inevitable, and it came as no surprise to her, when he had eventually moved in completely.

It had taken a little time to adjust at first, especially for her and her teammates, as their space was now divided between another six more pokemon, some of who, sometimes took up way too much room for her liking. However, for the sake of the happiness of her trainer, they had persevered with the adjustments.

Even though there had been a few teething problems at first, they had all managed to settle in together. It had almost seemed like they had become one big, if not a slightly dysfunctional family of some kind; but amazingly, it just seemed to work. Garchomp didn't think her trainer could've been anymore satisfied, until she witnessed that one evening, when he had gotten down onto one knee in front of her of trainer. The extreme look of happiness that had crossed her trainer's face said it all. From then on, they weren't just partners; they were each other's betrothed.

More or less, straight after that event, there had been a mass flurry of activity, as her trainer and betrothed, along with the help of many other acquaintances of theirs; planned their upcoming nuptials. Honestly, Garchomp hadn't seen what all the big fuss was about. Her trainer and betrothed had been together for a while as it was; she didn't understand why they needed such a huge ceremony to just confirm something that everyone already knew.

Apparently though, marriage, as it was called, was a very big thing, and apparently it was the human way of symbolizing the close bond that her trainer shared with her betrothed, as well as them both making a commitment to remain together. Even with this explanation, she still didn't see why a big fuss was necessary. Humans it seemed; could be very confusing sometimes.

However, regardless of her thoughts, the event went ahead, and quite a grand spectacle it had been. Her trainer had looked beautiful; it was hard to believe that she was the same timid little girl she had met all those years ago. How the girl had blossomed. And as she watched her trainer finally commit herself to the man stood beside her, Garchomp couldn't help the feeling of pride that shot through her.

Their journey had just taken a new direction, one that they now, would all be embarking on together.

* * *

Garchomp was finally disrupted from her memories, by a slight movement directly in front of her.

A split second later, before she even had a chance to move, she now found herself staring into a pair of bright blue irises, a feature that 'it,' had clearly inherited from her trainer's significant other. She couldn't help but freeze; 'it' was now clearly awake.

She could feel Metagross now hovering beside of her; it must have registered the little movement the infant had made too. As she glanced towards the steel behemoth, she could see its eyes were locked, rather alarmingly on said infant, as if afraid that at any moment it would cry out in displeasure, now that it was wide awake.

Thankfully, a few moments passed, and the infant had remained relatively silent, as it used its tiny fists to rub over its eyes, before shoving one said fist into its mouth. Garchomp couldn't help but screw her face up slightly at the sight; she stood by her claim that humans could be weird and disgusting sometimes. However, if it kept the infant from making any loud complaints, she'd accept it.

Unfortunately, as if the infant had heard her thoughts, said infant removed its fist from its mouth, as it gave a few sniffles, just before its face finally crumbled, as a loud wail escaped, quickly followed by a full tirade of more. Garchomp couldn't help but cringe at the volume of the cries that were emanating from the tiny infant. At this distance, they were almost deafening. She was quite sure an Exploud didn't make this much noise. Judging by Metagross' expression, the steel titan must have been thinking the same thing.

Suddenly, a light came on behind them. Her attention averted towards the doorway, only to see her trainer's significant other; illuminated by the light behind him. He slowly made his way into the room, heading straight towards the tiny infant, who had not once ceased its rather loud, incessant cries of displeasure. She had to wonder how 'it' managed to maintain this level of noise without running out of breath.

Finally, her trainer's significant other; leant down to pick up the infant from its resting place, in order to bring said infant up to his shoulder.

"Shhh…it's alright. Shhh…baby boy, it's alright…daddy's here," he calmly stated, as he slowly began to sway slightly from side to side, in an obvious attempt to try and placate the still unimpressed infant. "Hey Jayden…my little man…what's all this noise huh?"

* * *

Jayden; that was 'its' name; Jayden Stone, the son of her trainer and the ex-Champion of Hoenn. The boy had been born five…no, six days ago now, after many months of waiting. It seemed like only yesterday; that her trainer had informed her of the expected arrival of this child and the feeling of stupefied amazement that she had felt at the announcement. A child? Really?

It had dumbfounded her greatly at the time, because she never would have expected this from her trainer, well…not yet anyway, especially, with her still being the Champion of Sinnoh. It seemed she wasn't the only one that thought so either, because her teammates, along with the ex-Champion's team; had all been just as bewildered. Well, maybe not all…the only one that seemed overly joyous had been Roserade, but then again, she was always the most sensitive of the group, so it was expected.

Still, it had been quite a shock. However, one look at her trainer's face; Garchomp knew without a shadow of a doubt, that she was quite thrilled with the news, and so, therefore, she decided that if her trainer was happy, then so was she, even if it still bewildered her completely. Although, to this day; she still found it bizarre and slightly weird; of the prospect of a child growing inside of her trainer's stomach. It didn't seem natural, but then again, she supposed that was normal for a human. However, there was no doubt about it though, humans were indeed a very weird species.

Regardless of her thoughts, from that day forward, the preparation and anticipation for the new, upcoming addition to their little family began. Garchomp could remember one evening, shortly after receiving the news, her trainer's companion gathering them all together, insisting that they aid him in keeping an eye on her trainer, in order to make sure she was safe and healthy; to which they'd all vehemently agreed too.

She couldn't help but give a little snort at the memory. Garchomp knew her trainer wouldn't be too thrilled with this, and her theory had proved correct, when her trainer had complained about the prospect of being constantly waited on. She was a strong willed individual, who was fully capable of looking after herself and the child she was carrying. However, considering the circumstances, Garchomp was willing to ignore her trainer's complaints.

Complaints aside, both her and Metagross had taken the head responsibility of carrying out his wishes. They had rallied their teammates together, in order to establish a system that would effectively achieve this. Even though it had been a different form of teamwork, in comparison to the training and battling that they were all used too; they had all still managed to pull together; to ensure her trainer's pregnancy went smoothly…well…as smoothly as they could possibly make it.

Of course, it hadn't all been simple; that would have been far too easy. There had been a few minor incidents, but it tended to be the rather sudden and sometimes-drastic mood changes in her trainer; that had been the cause of them. It seemed sometimes, her emotions seemed to go from one extreme to another. One moment she'd be sullen, then complaining, then sleepy…it had been confounding to say the least, especially, when she had witnessed that one occasion, where her trainer had burst into tears because she had burnt a slice of toast.

Who would've guessed that pregnancy would cause such a whirlwind of emotions in a human? She certainly hadn't. Apparently though, this sort of behaviour was natural in humans who were expecting a child, but still, it confused the hell out of her.

However, during those trying times, she had to give her trainer's companion most of the credit, because the man dealt with it all, whilst constantly remaining a steady pillar of strength throughout. In fact, nothing seemed to faze him in the slightest. He did everything in his power to make sure her trainer was comfortable, regardless of what it was. Even if Garchomp hadn't already known it, there was clearly no question about it now; he was thoroughly devoted to her trainer and her happiness. If she hadn't respected the man before all of this, she did now.

So, that being said, those little incidents aside, the pregnancy overall, had been pretty smooth.

Then the fateful day had finally arrived. She could remember the flash of panic that shot through her at first. However, all that anticipation dissipated a few hours later, at the sound of Jayden's first cry. The new addition to their family had finally arrived.

Upon finally seeing the child for the first time, Garchomp could remember staring at the infant in sheer wonder. The child was the spitting image of his father, right down to the few, steely blue colour tufts of hair that were present on his head. Weren't human children supposed to look like both parents? Regardless of that little detail, the thought quickly dissipated, after taking one look at her trainer. Underneath that exhaustion and joy, there was a look that Garchomp had never quite seen before…it had been a look of contentment.

That wasn't too say that she hadn't seen her trainer this jovial before, she had, in fact, there'd been numerous occasions where she had witnessed it; when they won their first battle; winning their first gym badge; becoming Champion; uncovering mysteries; meeting her now significant other; becoming betrothed to said other; marriage; pregnancy; but this…this was a different kind of joy. It was almost as if her trainer was now…complete. Judging by the look her significant other had been sporting too; he must have felt exactly the same.

How a little child could have that much of an impact was quite incredible; but if it made her trainer feel this content with life, then she was content. So, on that fateful day, Garchomp made another vow; she would vehemently protect this precious child, as if it was her own offspring.

* * *

Now five…six days later, Garchomp now found herself in this current situation.

Although, sometime during her thoughts, the noise level around her seemed to have decreased slightly; thanks to her trainer's significant other, who had now ceased his swaying, in order to start rubbing the little boy's back in comfort. It seemed to be working, as Jayden's cries seemed to lower in volume. Garchomp couldn't help but give a sigh of relief, thank Arceus for small miracles.

"Steven?"

At the call of the man's name, they all seemed to avert their attention towards the doorway, where her trainer was now standing, rubbing the eye that wasn't obscured by her fringe, obviously trying to wake herself up.

"Hey, you didn't need to get up Cynthia, I said I'd get him," Steven gently replied, as he continued to rub Jayden's back, in order to comfort the still crying infant. "Go back to bed love, you need your rest."

At his words, her trainer finally made her way over to stand next to her significant other, before raising her hand, in order to gently brush through the few tufts of hair on the child's head in comfort.

"I know you did Steven, but I can't ignore my little boy's complaints now can I?" she replied; still brushing a hand through the infant's hair, before giving a little shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, I miss you when you are not there."

At her words, a smirk appeared over Steven's face, before he leant in to give her trainer a kiss, mindful of the infant; that was still resting against his shoulder.

Garchomp couldn't help but cringe at the sight. Even though she sees this type of behaviour from them on a regular basis, it still makes her feel highly uncomfortable witnessing it. However, it seemed that Metagross had no such affliction anymore, as the steel behemoth gave her a rather amused look, at the obvious sight of her discomfort. Garchomp shot the steel titan a sharp glare in response.

Thankfully, the moment was disrupted, when Jayden's cries seemed to start increasing in volume again, despite the comfort that both parent's were giving him. Both of their trainers finally pulled apart, as their attention returned immediately to the still unsatisfied infant.

"Hmm…it seems to me, that someone is hungry," Steven softly stated, just as the wailing child raised one of his fists to his mouth again. "Yes…definitely hungry I think."

Her trainer gave him a beautiful smile.

"I think you might be right, daddy."

At her remark, a wide smile appeared over his face too.

"Well mummy; I think we better get this little man fed, shall we?" He gave a little wink. "Then maybe, we can all get some rest."

Garchomp couldn't help but growl in approval at his sentiments. It seemed her trainer was also in agreement, as she gave a little chuckle at his remark, whilst removing her hand from Jayden's head, before turning and making headway, back towards the doorway, her companion and son close behind.

As the three of them made their way out of the room, Garchomp couldn't help but stare after them contently. Despite the constant disruption that little Jayden had brought into their lives, she couldn't help but be proud of her trainer, as she marvelled at how far she had come since they had first met all those years ago.

It had indeed been a long journey, but it was far from over yet. Her trainer was still the Champion of Sinnoh, there was still plenty of mysteries to uncover, plus, there was the new experiences this little infant was going to bring them. In no way was it over yet, and Garchomp was looking forward to continuing on, right by her trainer's side.

Although, there was one thing that she was looking forward too, and that was for 'it'…or rather Jayden, to be out of this rather disruptive stage.

* * *

 **So, what did you all think?**

 **Hopefully that wasn't too confusing for you all. I did try to keep it as realistic as possible. So, I just hoped you found it just as fun as I found writing it.**

 **Of course, this story could be tied in with The Battle and Little Surprise, because this is of course their first child that I created for them.**

 **Fear not, I have not forgotten those previous requests. In fact, I am still working hard on that Xmas story and grandchildren story for you all, so please do not fear, they are in progress.**

 **FYI. One reviewer asked me to add some names into The Party story with regards to the drama parts, so I have done that for you too.**

 **Well, until the next one dear readers.**


	20. Christmas Surprise

**Hello and welcome back everyone!**

 **Sorry you've had to wait for this story, it should have been published at least two days ago, but my laptop died. At least I did manage to get it too you just in time for Christmas.**

 **Anyway, this story features only Cynthia and Steven, and as the title suggests, it's a Christmas Story. But I got to say, really it's just pure fluff, because why not?**

 **Not much more to say here, as pretty self explanatory.**

 **I'm rating it T, just for safety, but there really isn't anything in here that bad, I think it's just more implied than anything.**

 **Story is told from Cynthia's POV, and her thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Anyway, I will see you at the end.**

* * *

 _Christmas Morning_

As the bright morning rays shone through the curtains to bathe the room in a dull silvery light, a chorus of Starly began chirping merrily from outside. This was enough to rouse the Sinnoh Champion from her peaceful slumber.

As Cynthia slowly began to regain consciousness, the first thing she registered, was the shallow little breath's that tickled the side of her neck; followed by the feeling of a strong arm wrapped around her bare waist; and the sensation of cool metal pressing into her overheated skin underneath the quilt.

She sighed in contentment; how she could get used to this sensation every morning; the feeling of being held and wanted; the warmth and security it brought, along with the feeling of just being completely…loved. She sighed again; _yes, mornings like this she could definitely get used to._

She hadn't been expecting him, thinking he was tied up with league politics. However, he'd later informed her, that the meetings had finished earlier than anticipated; (thanks to some rather fast talking by some of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members,) therefore, he was now free to carry out their original holiday plans. And instead of calling her, he'd decided to surprise her, like the big romantic he was. (Even though he'd deny he was anything of the sort.)

And to think, this time yesterday, she had thought all her Christmas plans had been ruined...

* * *

 _Christmas Eve Morning_

 _Well this was just terrific,_ Cynthia thought, as she hung up the phone. It seemed that her initial holiday plans had now been scuppered, as Steven was unfortunately, stuck in Hoenn.

He was supposed to be flying out to spend Christmas in Sinnoh with her; their first as an official couple. Everything had more or less been arranged, and truthfully, she'd been so looking forward to it. However, it seemed that fate had other ideas in mind, as it screamed a loud 'bite me' at their plans.

 _What sane person, in their right mind, would hold an emergency league meeting on Christmas Eve?_ Well, it seemed someone in Hoenn apparently thought it was okay too.

Problem was now, she couldn't even make last minute arrangements to get to Hoenn, as all transport to other regions had now ceased for the holidays, plus the weather was too risky for her to fly over herself on Togekiss. Aside from that, she couldn't even celebrate with her family either, because unfortunately, her sister was currently travelling in Kalos; and her grandmother was visiting some of her research friends in Unova; meaning they would both be unavailable. Even all her colleagues throughout the Sinnoh League had plans.

 _Well...to be fair, she_ _couldn't really begrudge them all, because she had had plans, until that phone call…_ She gave a heavy sigh, it wasn't Steven's fault that the league had demanded his presence at whatever emergency meeting they were holding; it was his duty as Champion after all, and she better than anyone understood that, what with being a Champion herself.

Cynthia gave herself a mental slap; she had to snap herself out of this sullen attitude and start to think positively, it was Christmas after all, and Steven would be here sometime over the festive period, (he had told her as much over the phone;) he just wasn't sure what day that would be yet. It all now depended on the length of the meetings and whether he could get out to Sinnoh, what with the weather and transport availability.

However, as much as she tried to think positively about it, she still couldn't help but feel morose. It was extremely hard not to feel this way, because she had so been looking forward to spending Christmas Day with Steven and now….

She gave a heavy sigh of defeat; _so much for it being a Merry Christmas._

* * *

 _Christmas Eve Evening_

Cynthia couldn't help but give another heavy sigh, before taking a sip of her wine from the glass she was holding, as she sat on her sofa, staring into the crackling fireplace.

She briefly wondered what Steven was doing now? He hadn't sounded overly thrilled on the phone earlier, although, she could hardly blame him, because she felt exactly the same. She'd been so looking forward to just spending time with him, and only him.

She and Steven had been together a little over eleven months now, but with his obligations still currently tying him to Hoenn, and with her Champion duties tying her to Sinnoh, it was difficult sometimes, to find the time to travel to visit each other. That's not to say that they didn't call or message each other everyday, because they did, however, you couldn't be held, kissed or touched over a phone or video message. And that was exactly why, this situation was extremely frustrating. All their plans, completely thwarted, thanks to unforeseen circumstances.

Cynthia couldn't help the little wistful sigh that escaped her; _oh the joys of a long distance relationship._

Luckily for her, she was brought out of her morose thoughts by a sudden knock at the door.

She couldn't help but cast a glance at the clock resting on her mantel piece. When she caught sight of the time indicated on there, she couldn't help but furrow her brows in confusion; _it was nearing nine thirty in the evening; who would be disturbing her this late on Christmas Eve?_

The knock came again, this time a little louder and more insistent; _w_ _hoever it was, they obviously were quite intent on seeing her it seemed._

Curious now, by her sudden guest's persistence, she placed her wine glass onto the coffee table beside her, as she rose from the sofa, before heading over to answer the door.

When she had finally reached the door, she yanked it open, only to freeze, as she took in the sight of the person who was now currently stood in front of her. She couldn't believe it; she hadn't been expecting this, especially, after this morning's phone call. However, despite everything, there, standing in front of her, hair and shoulders lightly dusted with snow, was her boyfriend; Steven Stone.

"Sorry I'm late," he stated with a little chuckle. "It just took me a little longer to fly over than I had anticipated."

Cynthia was still frozen to the spot, as her eyes remained locked onto his dazzling blue orbs. She still couldn't quite seem to believe that he was standing there. At her rather obvious, stupefied state, a large smirk broke out across Steven's lips.

"Merry Christmas, Cynthia."

At his words this time, she finally managed to shake herself out of her stunned stupor. As she did, she couldn't withhold the bright smile that broke free, (like she would've wanted to anyway,) as she launched herself at him, in order to wrap him in her warm embrace.

"It is now," she replied merrily, before burying her face into his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin.

She felt his arms wrap tightly around her waist, returning her embrace tenfold, as he buried his face into her golden hair. Cynthia couldn't help but sigh contently; _so it looked like she'd be having a very Merry Christmas this year after all._

* * *

 _Christmas Morning_

At the memory, a smile touched her lips, as a warm feeling overcame her.

He was possibly the last person she had expected to have been standing outside her door, especially, after yesterday morning's phone call. However, despite the initial surprise his appearance had given her, she couldn't deny, that she wasn't thrilled to see him. Thanks to his rather untimely arrival, they could now proceed with their original plans, of celebrating the festive holiday as a regular couple.

So, after recovering from his rather sudden appearance, she had then proceeded to drag him inside; before closing the door on the rest of the world.

However, despite all the excitement and happiness of him finally making it to Sinnoh, Cynthia hadn't failed to notice; that he had looked close to collapsing from exhaustion. Although, when she'd mentioned this, he'd quickly reassured her that he was fine, and that time spent with her was far too precious to sleep away, especially, with it being Christmas. As if then to prove a point, he had taken her hand and led them to her room, where they had then spent a considerable amount of time, physically reacquainting themselves with each other, after another lengthy time apart, before inevitably falling asleep together, sometime during the early hours of the morning.

Cynthia couldn't stop the wave of happiness that flooded through her at the memories; before she finally opened her eyes to the morning light. Judging from the stillness behind her, it seemed Steven was still asleep. She couldn't help but give another content sigh, as she thought about the man behind her; the sudden urge to look at him was strong. With that thought in mind, she held her breath, as she began to ever so slowly turn in his embrace, trying valiantly not to wake him.

As she finally managed to manoeuvre herself to fully face him, the hand that had been resting so possessively over her stomach twitched. She held her breath, but thankfully, he only gave a small sigh, before retightening his arm around her; hand now splayed out flat against her back.

Cynthia finally released the breath she was holding. Thankfully, her movement didn't wake him from his well-deserved slumber. Even though it Christmas, she didn't want to wake him up just yet, he needed the rest after all. She gave another content sigh, before she began openly observing her lover, while he slept.

She began with his hair, one of his most defining and recognizable features. As the morning light streamed through the curtains, his disarrayed hair, shone a steely blue against her pillow. Cynthia had to seriously resist the strong urge to run her fingers through those soft, tousled locks.

Resisting temptation, she moved her gaze downwards to his dazzling, bluish-grey eyes; those twin pools of clear soulful water; that were currently closed, as he continued to slumber, blissfully unaware of her perusal. However, those eyes though, when they were open, were probably his most defining feature, and by far, her favourite physical feature. When open, those eyes were the windows to his soul, and every time she stared into them, she couldn't help but become captivated. In all honesty, she could happily drown in those endless pools.

With a content sigh, she continued her gaze downwards, past his cute nose, to his well-defined cheekbones that were relaxed in slumber, to his lips, that were open jut enough to let out little puffs of air; a pair of lips, that she could happily kiss forever.

She cast her eyes downwards once again, past his strong neck, in order to admire the top half of his well-defined chest, before the rest was disappointedly hidden underneath the quilt. All that rock excavation, exploring and traversing terrains, had given the man a rather well defined figure; one that he hid behind his tight, sleek, black and purple business suit; that he had a preference for wearing on a daily basis.

There was no denying that he was a rather dashingly, handsome young man, (even though he'd vehemently deny it,) and was plenty of women's (and even some men's) fantasy. Coupled with his charming personality, there was no doubt in her mind, that he was one fine specimen of a man; and she was quite sure, if he'd tried, he could've had anyone he wanted. Luckily for her though, he'd chosen her to be the one to see him like this, stripped bare, in both clothes and emotions. She was forever thankful for his decision, and had vowed the day that this had started between them; that if she had her way, she'd be the only one ever too.

After finally completing her perusal, Cynthia gave another little content sigh, as she raised her gaze to his face once again. He was still blissfully asleep, and completely oblivious to her recent perusal of him. Normally, he would be able to sense when someone was looking at him. She couldn't help but frown slightly; _he really must have been exhausted._ Their night spent together, must have depleted all the remaining energy he had left.

She couldn't help but release a little sigh of exasperation, _he always pushed himself too hard._ It was quite a long journey to Sinnoh as it was by public transport; _but to fly over on a pokemon?_ Not to mention that it was now winter in Sinnoh, the weather must have been treacherous on his crossing. Thankfully, the man, albeit a little cold, had still managed to make it. Cynthia made a mental note to thank and treat Metagross, for actually getting his master here and in relatively one full piece.

She really should chastise him for running himself into exhaustion by flying over to see her; but she knew she never would. Like he had told her last night, the time they spent together was far too precious to waste, and besides, he'd have ignored her complaints even is she had made any, and he still would have flown over to spend Christmas with her, regardless of his physical condition.

That was not too say she didn't love him for it, in fact, she cherished every moment they spent together, as they were few and far between; plus, it now gave them the opportunity to actually spend Christmas together. However, she just hoped that he hadn't over done it, so that he would be too tired to enjoy it.

Although, she couldn't just blame the travelling for his exhaustion, she knew there was more to it than that. With the mass amount of things currently demanding his attention in his home region, it was no surprise that the man probably felt drained. Between his league duties as Champion; his obligations to his father with regards to the Devon Co-operation business; his own research ventures and excavating for rare stones; and the added travelling to visit her in his spare time, the man was constantly stretched to the limit.

However, recently, Steven had been making quite vocal suggestions about resigning from his Champion position. With all these commitments pulling at him, something had to give eventually, and he'd made it quite evident, that their relationship; his father, and his passion for exploring and excavating stones, were his top priorities.

Cynthia couldn't deny, that she'd feel incredibly guilty if he did give up his title, especially, considering that she was one of the main reasons, and with her still holding the title of Champion herself. However, when she had voiced her doubts to him one evening, he'd brushed her comments aside, by informing her that there was no need for her to feel guilty in the slightest, because it was his decision; and besides, having that burdensome title off his shoulders, meant that they could see each other more often, which she had to admit, was a definite positive.

After that conversation, they had then even broached the subject of potentially moving in together, if he did retire from his position, an idea, (if she was truly honest with herself,) she was already totally on board with. Her happiness with this suggestion surprised her slightly at first, because she was a rather strong willed and independent woman, and to be rather accepting of this idea, bewildered her slightly, but then again, maybe she just loved him that much. She briefly wondered if he felt the same, _but then again, he wouldn't have brought the subject up if he weren't positive that this was something he wanted._

Cynthia was finally broken out of her thoughts, by the feeling of the hand that had been splayed across her back, beginning to move; just before a soft sigh emanated from her lover. He was finally starting to wake it seemed.

She raised her right hand to rest her palm against his cheek, as her eyes locked onto his fluttering eyelids, eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of those eyes that she adored. And when they did finally open, the rather sleepy, unfocussed and solemn gaze he bore; had been enough to make her heart melt.

"Good morning," she greeted him gently, as she moved her hand from his cheek, in order to brush gently through his hairline. "Merry Christmas."

He gave a small little yawn, before greeting her in return.

"Good morning, beautiful. Merry Christmas to you too." He blinked a few times in order to shake off his drowsiness. "How long have you been awake?"

Cynthia smiled at him, before leaning forward to give him a quick kiss.

"Not too long, probably about half hour or so," she replied, as she leant back to gaze into his beautiful eyes again.

He gave another little yawn, before refocusing his gaze on her.

"Why didn't you wake me, love?"

"You needed to rest, you were exhausted."

Steven was just about to respond, but she abruptly cut him off, by removing her hand from his hair, and placing her finger over his lips.

"Don't try to deny it. I know you all too well, Steven Stone." She removed her finger, only to move her hand downwards, in order to rest her palm, flat against his chest, right above his heart. She could feel his steady heartbeat thrum against it, as she gave a little sigh. "Steven, as much as I love you for making it here, so we could spend our first Christmas together; but you really need to start taking some time to rest. It isn't healthy, all this rushing around. I worry that you are going to make yourself seriously ill, and that is something, I don't ever want to see."

She was quite sure he could see the concern radiating from her eyes, as he leant down to kiss her gently on the forehead, before returning his gaze back to her, with a knowing little glint.

"You are right Cynthia, it isn't healthy for me to be constantly running around like this;" he began, as he ran his fingers through her long tresses. "Which is why a week ago; I finally handed in my resignation to the league. As of yesterday's meetings, I am no longer Champion."

At his words, Cynthia went into a state of shock; _he couldn't be serious?_ Yes, they had broached the subject, but it still didn't mean she'd been fully prepared for when the moment arrived. She was just about to respond, but he cut her off this time.

"All that running around, I could feel my body telling me to stop, but I kept persevering, but now, enough is enough."

As Cynthia continued to stare into his eyes, she could see the confirmation imbedded within them; he was deadly serious. With that, she could feel that guilt rise inside of her.

"Steven, are you certain you've made the correct decision? I don't want you to have any regrets."

She could see him give a little nod.

"I am certain I've made the correct decision Cynthia. Seeing your look of concern now, just confirmed it." He raised a hand in order to brush some of her hair aside that had fallen across her eyes. "Like I mentioned to you before, you need not feel guilty about this, because this was ultimately my decision to make. Will I miss it? Yes, in some ways I probably will, but there is only so much a person can take, and frankly, there are more important things that require my attention, one of those being our relationship."

Cynthia could feel her eyes fill with moisture, as happiness began to bubble up inside her.

"Being Champion has been a great experience, but my priorities have changed. Now, I'm quite looking forward to this new chapter of my life; a chapter with you," he stated, as a content smile spread across his handsome face.

With his final words, Cynthia couldn't hold back the dam of happiness any longer. Tears rolled out of her eyes, as she gave him a beaming smile, before embracing him tightly; arms wrapped tightly around his waist, head buried into his neck. She could feel his arms wrap tightly around her in response.

"Merry Christmas, love," Steven whispered into her ear.

At his words, she removed her head from his neck and leant back slightly, in order to meet his gaze again. Grey met dazzling blue. In that moment, nothing else existed.

"It is indeed," she replied, before leaning her forehead against his.

She could feel him tightening his embrace around her again, before a little smirk began to appear over his lips.

"So…how would you like a full time roommate?" he asked cheekily, before tilting his head forward in order to capture her lips with his.

Oh yes, she could definitely get used to this every morning, and frankly, she couldn't wait for it to actually become a reality. _Soon,_ she reminded herself; _very soon._

One thing though, it was definitely a very Merry Christmas indeed.

* * *

 **Well everyone, I hope that wasn't too sickly for you.**

 **I'm now up to twenty stories on here, and I would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or liked this story, you guys rock! And please, do keep your requests coming!**

 **Anyway, I think the next story, will probably be that grandchildren story people have been requesting.**

 **All I think there is left to say is goodbye for now; and until the next one dear readers...**

 **Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


	21. Minding The Grandkids

**Hello everyone and welcome back! And a Happy New Year too.**

 **With regards to this update, this is the story a lot of you have been requesting; a story featuring the interaction between Mr Stone aka Steven's father, and their children or rather his grandchildren, who I introduced in The Battle; so give a warm welcome back to Jayden and Amethyst.**

 **With this story, it is set about three months after The Battle storyline. It isn't necessary to read that one in order to get the gist of this one, but I would recommend it, because there are references in this story, that can tie back to that one.**

 **So, this story is told from Mr Stone's point of view and his thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Rating this story a K+ as there is nothing in here that requires a higher rating.**

 **See you at the end everyone!**

* * *

 **Sunday 7:00pm**

"Are you sure father?"

Mr Stone could here the hesitancy in his son's voice, even through the video feed.

"Of course son," he replied, with a raise of his eyebrow. "Any time I get to spend with my grandchildren is time well spent. And besides, it'll be nice to babysit them for a change. It's not like they are any bother."

He could see the rather sceptical look his son was now sporting.

"You do realize father, that they are both at a rather curious age. Not to mention; that you seem extremely busy with Devon business at the moment. I wouldn't want to burden you with our children as well, as they can be quite a handful at times."

Mr Stone couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped him, as he shook his head in bemusement. He couldn't help but think that it was quite ironic hearing those words come out of his son's mouth, because contrary to belief, Steven himself, had been exactly the same when he was around Amethyst's and Jayden's age. So, he found it quite amusing now, in his opinion, to see his son having to deal with the same thing. _What was that famous saying, 'whatever goes around, comes around?' Well, that was definitely true, that's for sure._

"Don't be ridiculous Steven, I'm sure they aren't that bad. Besides, I managed to bring you up didn't I? And I dare say, you were quite a handful at times."

He couldn't help but give another little chuckle, at the rather sheepish look that had now spread across his son's face. It was true; Steven had been quite a little handful sometimes when he was younger, and he knew it. Mr Stone knew his son all too well, and he knew he was rather embarrassed by his constant reminders of some of his more, embarrassing childhood moments. Steven never did respond well to teasing, _but then again, what type of parent would he be, if he couldn't still tease his own son?_

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Steven gave a little cough.

"Be that as it may father; just remember, there was only one of me, and if you forgive my impudence, you aren't as young as you were back then."

Mr Stone didn't know whether he should be offended by that, or just generally thankful, that his son was thinking of his welfare.

"Nonsense dear boy, I'm sure I can manage, in fact, I'm quite looking forward to it now. It'll be nice to see you all again," he replied, before giving a little chuckle. "Besides, I'm actually volunteering my assistance. Think of this as an opportunity for both you and Cynthia to have some time to yourself."

He could see Steven give a hesitant smile, as he scratched the back of his neck. He knew his son was conflicted, as both him and his wife; never liked burdening others with the responsibility of minding their children; regardless of whether they were related or not. And he respected them for that, he truly did, but then again, everyone needed a rest now and again, them being no different.

Mr Stone knew it wouldn't be easy to convince him, but judging by his son's recent reactions, he knew he had nearly swayed him. He just needed to give him the final push.

"Let me do this for you and Cynthia. You deserve some time alone together. The last month alone has been stressful enough for the both of you; and you cannot deny my boy, that you both deserve a break."

That seemed to finally strike a cord, as he saw his son give a little defeated sigh, as he ran a hand through his tousled, silvery blue locks.

"Well…if you are sure father? I mean, we wouldn't spend all day away, we'd pick them back up in the evening."

Mr Stone couldn't help the smirk that broke out over his lips in triumph.

"Not to worry son, I'm sure we will be fine." He gave another little chuckle. "Besides, with you having another little one on the way, you and Cynthia should make the most of the opportunity, because dear boy, very soon, you are going to be seriously outnumbered."

* * *

 **Tuesday 9:00am**

It was now Tuesday morning, and Mr Stone had just finished his breakfast, when he'd received the message that his visitors had arrived.

Just as he set foot upon the ground floor, he heard two rather loud, distinctive voices call out to him.

"GRANDFATHER!"

He couldn't help the wide smile that broke out over his lips, as he caught sight of the two children that came hurtling towards him, with their Aron and Gible close on their heels. He couldn't help the little chuckle that slipped past his lips at the sight.

Both Jayden and Amethyst had received their first pokemon only two months ago, as a Christmas gift from their parents. Steven and Cynthia had both told him, that they thought it was time, and that hopefully, it would stop their children from using theirs without permission. However, regardless of their reasoning, he'd never seen his grandchildren that ecstatic, until they had opened one of their presents, only to discover they each had a pokeball.

As both grandchildren finally crashed into him, he gathered them both into a tight hug, before glancing down towards them. Even though it had only been two months since he last saw them in person, he still couldn't believe how much they had grown.

His musings were interrupted, by the sound of another two sets of footsteps. As he glanced upwards, he encountered both his son and wife, making their way towards him, hands intertwined. He couldn't stop his smile from expanding at the sight. It was so wonderful to see them all in the flesh once again, as he hadn't physically seen any of them since Christmas. With Devon's workload forcing him to remain in Hoenn, and with them living in Sinnoh, and the commitments that they had there; the chances to visit over the past two months had been very limited indeed.

He could remember the phone call he had received form Steven, two weeks after he had departed before the New Year, informing him, that with the Sinnoh Championship's currently underway, Cynthia would be tied to her home region, (as she was still the Champion after all;) and due to the pressure and high workload that the event came with, there was just no physical way that they could all make the journey to visit him, until the tournament ended.

His son had apologized, well…both him and his wife had apologized, but he had needed no explanation from either of them. The League Championship's were no walk in the park for the trainers, and they were always stressful; if not, the most stressful event of the calendar year. He could vividly remember what his son had had to endure when he was Champion, so he understood the situation all to well.

If it was a stressful occasion for a physically healthy person, he could only imagine what it would be like for his daughter-in-law, especially, considering the fact that she was once again pregnant, with his third grandchild. (Admittedly, she was only three months gone, but still.) He could only imagine how exhausted she must have been.

Even though this decision had meant not physically seeing them for a longer period of time, he fully respected his son's decision, in fact, if he'd have been in his shoes; he would have made the exact same decision. Steven had his own family's welfare to consider now, and their priorities came first. In all honesty, he wouldn't have expected anything less of his son, in fact, he couldn't be anymore prouder of him.

Even though they hadn't had the chance to visit, that didn't mean he hadn't kept in contact with them, in fact, he'd frequently contacted them through video message. Although, he had to admit, it just wasn't the same as seeing them in person.

Mr Stone was finally brought out of his musings, by the sound of his son clearing his throat.

"Father."

"Steven, my boy. So glad you all could make it," he replied, as he gave him a smile in greeting, before averting his attention to the woman stood beside him. "And of course Cynthia, you're looking radiant as ever. I hope you are feeling better now that the Championship Tournament is over?"

Cynthia gave a little nod of her head.

"Yes indeed. I'm so glad that it's all finished for another year, believe me," she replied, before giving a little sigh. "Although, I would like to apologize for the fact that my inability to travel during that period, stopped you from seeing the children."

At her words, Mr Stone couldn't help but shake his head.

"Nonsense Cynthia, you have nothing to apologize for; none of you do. I totally understand; those Championship Tournament's are extremely stressful, so I totally understand why you were unable to make it here for a visit," he replied, as he gave them both a content smile. "Besides, I get to spend time with them now, so that more than makes up for it."

At his words, he could feel Jayden tug on his jacket. He averted his attention towards the young boy.

"Grandfather, is it true that you are going to watch us today? Dad said you were."

"Indeed I am," he replied, as he gave the boy's shoulders a squeeze, from where he still had his arm around him.

"Are you sure you are going to be alright watching them for a while father?"

He could once again hear the hesitancy in his son's voice. He couldn't help but give an inward chuckle at it; _how many more times would he have to reassure him?_ He had to admit though; his son's concern was very touching.

"We've been over this son, I'll be perfectly fine," he retorted with a chuckle, before briefly averting his attention to the two kids that were stood either side of him. "Or rather, we will be fine, right kids?"

Both children gave an excited nod. At their rather enthusiastic response, Mr Stone could see his son exchange a glance with his wife. She gave a little nod, before his son's attention returned to him.

"Well, if you are sure father?" Steven asked, before giving a little sigh at the sign of approval from him. "Very well, we'll be back sometime later tonight."

"No rush," Mr Stone replied, as he watched his grandchildren walk over to say goodbye to their parents. "There's no need to worry, it'll be no trouble; no trouble at all."

* * *

 **10:45am**

Mr Stone signed his signature once again, before adding the sheet of paper to the completed pile. He gave a heavy sigh, as he threw his pen onto the table, before his gaze averted to the still uncompleted stack of papers. One of his aides had handed him the pile a half hour ago, claiming it needed his immediate attention.

That was one of the major downsides of being the CEO of a major company, the mass amount of paperwork. He hated it at the best of times, but what made it worse today, was the fact that it had meant, he had had to excuse himself from his grandchildren, in order to complete it.

However, knowing the two of them, they probably weren't that bothered, because when he'd left them, they had both been sprawled out, over two of the sofas in the first floor waiting room, eyes glued to the television screen. If it weren't for the fact that he had told them, they probably may not have even noticed him not being there. He couldn't help but give a little chuckle at the thought, _children these days._

Nevertheless, the quicker he finished this, the quicker he could get back to them. He picked up his pen once again.

"Grandfather, what are you doing?"

Mr Stone was jerked out of his thoughts, as his gaze lifted from the paper in front of him, only to land on his grandson, who was now stood just inside the doorway to his office; his Aron sat next to his right foot.

A serene smile spread across his lips, as a wave of nostalgia flooded through him, because for a moment there, he thought he was looking at a young Steven, although, admittedly, his son would have had a Beldum rather than an Aron following him around, but still… If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that it was his son standing there in the doorway.

"Grandfather?"

He was finally brought out of his musings by his grandson's voice. As his gaze refocused, he could see the boy giving him a rather incredulous look. He had to restrain the urge to chuckle at Jayden's expression; the boy was definitely, the spitting image of his father.

"Oh, sorry Jayden, I just got a little sidetracked there," he replied, before leaning back in his chair slightly. "All I'm doing is just signing paperwork, because being CEO, means that it is a necessary job, and this particular pile, needs to be completed today."

At his explanation, Jayden made his way over to his desk, before picking up the top paper from his completed pile.

"Oh, so you mean you are completing paperwork that can successfully help run the day-to-day proceedings of Devon." Jayden lowered his gaze to the paper he was now holding. "Hmm…well judging by this piece of paper grandfather, it seems to be doing extremely well."

At Jayden's words, Mr Stone couldn't help but stare at him in slight bewilderment. The boy was rather sharp he'd give him that, and quite perceptive it seemed. He couldn't help but wonder if that was natural for a seven year old. However, despite his thoughts, he had to admit, he felt kind of…proud of the boy.

Even though it was heartening to see his grandson taking an interest in what he was doing, there was something that he needed to clarify with him first.

"Jayden?"

"Hmm…yes grandfather?"

At Jayden's rather disinterested answer, he couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation, before giving a little sigh; _the boy seriously had to pay more attention to what was going on around him more._

"Where is your sister?"

Jayden finally lowered the paper, before questionably looking up at him.

"Amethyst?"

Mr Stone gave a small eye roll.

"Well, that's the only sister I know you have, for the time being anyway."

Jayden gave a little groan.

"Please don't remind me grandfather." He gave a little a shudder for effect. "I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do, if I end up with a second sister. Amethyst is quite enough as it is."

Mr Stone had to refrain from bursting into laughter at the boy's remark. He had to restrain it, because as much as the statement amused him, laughing would certainly not be very wise, because that would only encourage the boy, and he didn't want any discontent between his two grandchildren, especially, with them having a new sibling arriving later this year.

Unfortunately, he'd never had that sibling experience, as both himself and Steven had been only children, so he'd never had to deal with sibling rivalry…well; with regards to Jayden and Amethyst; he supposed that was too strong of a word. He felt the more appropriate term should have been; sibling disagreements.

From what he had witnessed, and from what his son and daughter-in-law had told him, the pair of them actually got on quite well, considering that they were different genders. He supposed that was down to the parenting skills of both his son and daughter-in-law. They had obviously tried to make sure that both children got along, by encouraging them to share in their interests.

He couldn't help but give a smile at the thought, because he had raised his son this way, and upon meeting Cynthia's grandmother, he was quite sure, she had been as well. He had no doubt, that both Steven and Cynthia would certainly make sure that both Jayden and Amethyst, would be exactly the same with their new sibling.

But back to the matter at hand…

"Speaking of your current sister, where might she be Jayden?"

It seemed Jayden had tuned him out again, as he was now, once again, staring at the paper in front of him. Mr Stone couldn't help but roll his eyes, before finally rising from his seat, and making his way over to his still oblivious grandson.

Once he reached him, he leant forward slightly in order to pluck the sheet of paper from the boy's hand. Only when the paper was finally removed from his hand, did Jayden's attention finally return to him.

"Grandfather, I was reading that."

"I know you were, but I asked you a question with regards to your sister."

"Hmm…Oh right." Jayden clicked his fingers together. "Well, I left Amethyst watching the television."

Mr Stone couldn't help but raise a sceptical eyebrow at him.

"Are you telling me, you left your sister alone, when I specifically asked you to stay together until I got back?"

Jayden furrowed his brows slightly, both at his question and raised eyebrow.

"Well…yes…" the young boy explained. "But their was an aide sat just outside, and…and…" He shrugged his shoulders. "I got bored grandfather. So I came looking for you instead."

He should have guessed, because Steven had been the same at that age. And it should have come as no surprise to him, that Jayden would be exactly the same. He shook his head slightly in amusement.

"Be that as it may young man, when I ask you to do something, I do expect you to adhere to it."

At his words, Jayden gave him a slightly sheepish smile. Mr Stone had to restrain the urge to snicker at the look, because that was exactly the same look he had seen many times on his son's face.

With that thought in mind, he placed his arm around the boy's shoulders, as he began to steer him towards the exit to his office.

"Come along Jayden, let's see if your sister actually listened, shall we?" He leant backwards with his free hand in order to close the door behind them, before they started making their way down the corridor, back towards the waiting room, where hopefully, his granddaughter was still sat, immersed into the television.

As they did, Jayden gave a little huff.

"But grandfather, I'm still bored."

Mr Stone couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at Jayden's statement; the boy was nothing if not direct. Although, one thing was for certain, his grandson definitely had a one-track mind sometimes and quite amusingly; it was a trait that he could definitely relate too. He couldn't help but give an inward chuckle at the thought; there was no doubt about it, Jayden, was definitely, one hundred percent, a Stone.

* * *

 **11:30am**

"I sure hope that your sister is still there young man."

Jayden glanced up at him.

"Hmm…oh yes grandfather, I'm sure she will be. Like I said, I left her watching television. There was some show about dancing with pokemon or something tedious like that." He shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I didn't see what was so wonderful about it."

As they turned the corner, Mr Stone finally caught sight of his granddaughter. Thankfully, Amethyst was curled into one of the sofas, her Gible curled up on her lap, while she had her head buried into what appeared to be, a rather hefty book of some kind, the television it seemed, long forgotten. He couldn't help but give a little sigh of relief, it seemed that at least one of his grandchildren had listened.

As both he and Jayden made their way over to her, he could slowly begin to make out the words of the title on the front cover, it seemed…wait a minute…was that an academic textbook? He blinked, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but no, there wasn't any doubt about it; that, was an academic textbook. (More importantly, how'd she manage to get it down from the shelf it had been placed on?)

Well, he knew his granddaughter was rather intelligent for her age, but this… _She was six for Arceus sake!_ He knew that children developed at different stages of their lives, and of course, some learnt quicker than others, but this… Although, his son had mentioned that both children were excelling in their education already, but surely not this advanced?

However, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised, because both his son and daughter-in-law were both intelligent people anyway, so it was no surprise that their children would inherit their thirst for the academia. Although, this rather in depth reading and studying, he could clearly say, was a definite trait inherited from the Sinnoh Champion.

That wasn't to say that his son wasn't academically minded, he was. However, Steven tended to prefer the more practical side of things, as he was more a hands on type of guy; for example, he'd rather be out digging for stones, rather than reading about them.

Now that he thought about it, he could recall numerous occasions, when his daughter-in-law had mentioned that she had been very much like that; to which Steven had made a comment, that she was still like that now, which had inevitably earned him a very sharp poke to the ribs and a stern glare from his wife. Mr Stone couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the memory, _he had to give Cynthia credit; she was well versed on how to keep his son in line._

It seemed that sometime during his thoughts, at the severe lack of response or acknowledgement of their presence from his sister, Jayden had inched closer, before he literally, yanked the book from her hands. The glare Amethyst sent him; was scarily similar to that of her mother's.

Mr Stone had to do a double take, because for a moment there, he thought he was looking at a pint size version of his daughter-in-law. He couldn't help but agree with his son, if it weren't for Amethyst's blue eyes, he probably would have sworn blind; that he was staring at a mini Cynthia. Amethyst; was her mother re-incarnated, right down to her signature pokemon. (Even though it wasn't a Garchomp yet, there was no doubt in his mind; that it would be in a few years.)

"Jayden, what the…" she trailed off, as she seemed to catch a glimpse of him in her peripherals. "Oh, hello grandfather."

Amethyst's rather annoyed expression quickly brightened, as she gave him a wide smile. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear she was only grinning at him, because she was valiantly trying to deflect attention away from her almost slip up. He was pretty sure, she was going to say something derogatory and insulting towards her rather intrusive sibling, but the sight of him, thankfully, seemed to dissuade her. That was something he didn't particularly want to deal with.

"May I enquire as to what you are reading?" he asked, as he nodded towards the book Jayden was now holding.

At his question, Amethyst's eyes lit up.

"Well, it's actually quite fascinating, grandfather," she began, with a bright smile. "It's all about the fossilization process, and how pokemon become fossils, and how the earth beneath us seems to change with this process over time."

At her explanation, Jayden's eyes seemed to widen in intrigue.

"Wow sis, that actually does sound intriguing," Jayden replied, before flipping the book over to examine the front cover. "Maybe I should give this a read too."

"Not so fast, I was reading it first."

"No way, I'm the oldest, so I should get it first!"

"No chance! I'm nearly half way through, so you should let me finish it first!"

"But then if you let me go first, you can have it for longer!"

"Jayden, I swear…"

"Jayden, Amethyst!"

At his rather stern call, both of their eyes widened in surprise, as both of their gazes shot up to meet his. Mr Stone had to hold in a chuckle; at the rather startled look of surprise they both sported, it was almost as if they had forgotten that he was there at all. He couldn't help but shake his head in bewilderment; _that wasn't something that you saw everyday, two young children arguing over an academic textbook._

"If you both cannot share, then neither of you will get a chance, as I will have to confiscate it," he stated rather sternly, before holding his hand out towards his grandson. "In fact, why don't I take that for now? At least you both can now decide, without one of you holding possession of it."

Both children glanced at each other, before returning their gazes towards him, both giving a little sigh.

"Yes, grandfather."

With that, Jayden finally handed the book over to him. After receiving the book, Mr Stone turned and returned the book to its position in the empty space situated on the bookshelf. Once again, he had a passing thought, as to how his granddaughter had managed to get it down, without assistance.

However, those thoughts were best kept to himself, he was sure he wasn't going to like the answer if he asked, so he thought it would be for the best if he just didn't. With that in mind, he turned back to face his grandchildren, who were now sporting quite sullen looks.

"Now that that has been sorted, how about we go see about getting some lunch?"

Both children seemed to perk up at his suggestion. And moments later, as both children bounded out of the room in front of him, with their pokemon in tow, Mr Stone glanced briefly back to the bookshelf, before turning and following them out.

Was it natural for children this young to be this academically inclined; and fascinated with stuff that was well beyond their academic years? He wasn't quite sure, but then again, it seemed to make them happy, so who was he to judge? As far as he was concerned, whatever made them happy; was certainly all right in his books.

Although, he could so do without the bickering.

* * *

 **2:30pm**

Fortunately, lunch went without much preamble, both children eating without too much hassle. It seemed the subject of the book had been completely forgotten, as neither one of them mentioned anything during lunch, which if he was completely honest, was a welcome relief. He didn't think he could handle anymore bickering.

Unfortunately, almost immediately after finishing lunch, he'd received a very important phone call, that had meant he had had to part ways with his grandchildren, yet again. However, this time, he'd left them both in the capable hands of one of his most trusted aides, so he was confident that they would be fine. Regardless of their little disagreements, they both tended to be well-behaved children, so he was positive they wouldn't be too much hassle.

But then again, that could have been famous last words, as he took in the scene before him.

"What in the…"

At his exclamation, his grandchildren averted their attention towards him, as he stepped into room.

"Grandfather, welcome back. You'll never guess what?" Amethyst asked excitedly.

"Yes indeed grandfather, it's quite amazing!" Jayden stated, sharing in his sister's enthusiasm. "We decided to help with your fossil conversion machine."

Mr Stone's eyes widened at his grandson's remarks, as his gaze averted behind them, towards his most trusted aide, who was currently, half buried inside his fossil conversion machine, wielding a rather hefty spanner, while smoke seemed to be emanating from a part just above him. From the aide's frazzled appearance, and the rather unimpressed look he was shooting him over the children's heads, 'help,' it seemed, wasn't the appropriate word.

Mr Stone returned his gaze to the two children.

"And may I enquire, how you have helped this process?"

Jayden and Amethyst glanced between each other, before Amethyst finally spoke up.

"Ah, well you see grandfather, the machine didn't seem to be proficiently working, so we thought that we would increase the efficiency by increasing the content amount," she began explaining, before she glanced towards her brother, who nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, Amethyst is correct grandfather. You see, the more efficient the machine works…"

"…the more pokemon you can resurrect, as you can see by our trial," Amethyst finished explaining, while pointing towards the corner table in the room, where there seemed to be a pile of pokeballs covering its surface. "Thanks to our help grandfather, at last count, you now have five Anortih's, six Lilleeps, four Kabuto's and three Omanyte's to study!"

Mr Stone's eyes widened again, as he took in the explanation and the pile of pokeball's currently decorating the far corner table.

"You probably would have had more but…we sort of…jammed the machine," Jayden interjected, with a shrug of his shoulders, as a sheepish smile crossed his lips, one which appeared over his sister's lips too.

 _Of course you did,_ he thought, as he rubbed a hand over his forehead exasperatedly, before giving a heavy sigh. He'd left them alone for just over a half an hour fully supervised, and yet… He raised his head and took in the scene in front of him once again, and the rather unimpressed glare his aide was still shooting him. He couldn't help but give another heavy sigh.

In one respect, he didn't know why he seemed so surprised. He should have guessed really, they were both part Stone after all, and the other half; if judging by some of the things that Cynthia's grandmother had shared with him about Cynthia when she was young, mischief…or rather curiosity, it seemed, was a common trait as well.

Jayden clicking his fingers together finally brought him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, here's a thought…do you think mum and dad would allow us to keep one of each of these resurrected pokemon?"

"That's actually a very good suggestion, Jayden," Amethyst replied, before averting her excited gaze back towards him. "What do you think, grandfather?"

Only one thing seemed to cross Mr Stone's mind, as he observed the two rather expectant gazes from the children in front of him; and that was that he had definitely, spoken too soon.

"I thought you said they'd be no trouble, Sir."

Mr Stone couldn't help but grimace slightly at his aide's rather exasperated tone. Well…he did say most of the time.

* * *

 **4:00pm**

After finally settling that little issue with the fossil converter, and organizing some sort of arrangements for the resurrected pokemon, (to which both Amethyst and Jayden had been disappointed, when he had said no to their request to keep one of each species for themselves,) he had finally gotten the both of them to settle for a bit.

He'd left them in the garden, playing with their pokemon, under the watchful eye of another of his aides, as he returned to his office, in order to quickly finish the remaining paperwork that had been left from earlier, due to Jayden's interruption. There were only a few sheets left to go, so he was confident he wouldn't be that long.

True to his assumption, thirty minutes later, he signed his name for the last time, as he placed the final sheet of paper on the completed pile, before leaning back in his chair with a relived sigh. Now that that was all done, he could now rejoin his grandchildren, without any more niggling concerns.

As he made his way out of his office, he had just reached the bottom of the stairs, when he heard a rather loud and frantic voice calling out to him.

"President Stone! President Stone!"

At the call, he couldn't help but stop, as he witnessed the aide that should have been watching his grandchildren, come running towards him.

"What is it?"

The aide came to a stop right in front of him, before a rather sheepish look crossed his lips.

"Uh…well Sir," the aide managed to stutter out.

Mr Stone couldn't help the brief flash of panic that shot through him, as he took in the aide's rather frantic appearance.

"What is it? Are my grandchildren alright?"

The aide gave a very quick nod in affirmation.

"Of course Sir, they are fine, both fine."

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, before his brows furrowed slightly in confusion.

"Then what…"

"Uh…well I…I think…I think it would be better if you just come and see for yourself, Sir." With that comment, the aide turned and headed in the direction he came from. Mr Stone had no choice but to follow him.

However, once they had reached their destination, in one sense, he wished he hadn't have followed him, as he took in the view in front of him. He couldn't help but widen his eyes, as he took in the garden in front of him, well…what was left of the garden anyway. _How in Arceus' sake did they manage to make this many holes?_

The garden…or what was left of the garden, had numerous holes dug throughout it, as mounds of dirt lay piled up either side of each of the holes. And there, stood in the dead centre of the disarrayed mess, stood his two grandchildren, covered from head to toe, in splatters of dirt and grass. Even their pokemon, were completely covered.

"Oh…hi grandfather," Jayden greeted him with a smile, as Amethyst gave him a little wave.

Mr Stone gave a groan, before he shook his head in bewilderment at the state of his grandchildren. Although, as he continued to stare at them, he couldn't help but get a strong sense of déjà vu, because this was exactly the sort of scene, he had witnessed numerous times, when Steven was a child. He'd lost count of how many times he'd had to call in contractors to come and fill in holes that his son had made.

"Dare I ask, what you are doing?"

Amethyst gave him a wide smile, as she brushed one of her dirty hands over her t-shirt.

"We are looking for stones grandfather," she stated, with a hint of incredulity in her voice, as if he should have known that was what they were doing.

Jayden gave a little nod in agreement.

Mr Stone gave another heavy sigh, as he ran a hand over his forehead in exasperation, _of course they were._

"Well, dad told us that he used to do this when he was younger," Jayden stated; as he leant down to pet his Aron on the head. "He said that you used to hide stones in this garden and then he'd have to find them."

"So, we decided to follow in daddy's footsteps," Amethyst jumped in, as she leant down to pick up her dirt covered Gible. "And thanks to the TM Dig, that mum and dad taught to our pokemon, we could actually achieve this."

Of course Steven would tell his children about his childhood and past experiences, _but did he have to go into this much detail? And another thing, did they have to teach Dig to their pokemon?_ That, in his opinion, was just asking for trouble.

He gave another heavy sigh, as he once again took in their dishevelled appearances. Well, it looked like he'd better go and find that contractor's number.

* * *

 **6:30pm**

After finally getting both children (and pokemon) cleaned up, and arranging for contractors to come in tomorrow in order to fill up the holes that they had made; he had settled them both down for a light supper.

Since he had ushered his grandchildren in from their, 'little excavating,' they had both been rather quiet, _too quiet,_ if he was being honest. They weren't generally noisy or boisterous children, but he had a feeling that they may be, well…bored. He supposed he couldn't really blame them, there didn't really tend to be a lot of things in the Devon building that could keep them entertained all the time. In fact, he could remember having similar problems with Steven when he was that age.

 _Perhaps though, engaging them into some sort of conversation, would keep them entertained for a little bit?_ With that thought, he gave a little cough, in order to capture his grandchildren's attention.

"So, how have you both been since the last time I saw you?"

At his question, both children ceased eating, as they glanced towards him.

"Fine." "Alright, I suppose," they replied, before they both resumed eating.

 _Well, so much for having a conversation,_ Mr Stone thought, as he watched both children continue to devour their sandwiches. Perhaps a change of topic was in order. He cleared his throat once again.

"So, what do you both think of having a new sibling?"

At his question, there was a moment's silence, as both children ceased eating, as they glanced at each other. For a split second there, he thought that both children were going to express some negativity, but his fears were put to rest when Amethyst broke the silence.

"Well, to be honest grandfather, it is actually quite fascinating," she stated, as Jayden gave a little nod and a shrug of his shoulders.

"I suppose I agree," he replied. "It'll be intriguing to have a new sibling."

"Besides grandfather, mum and dad have prepared us for what is to come already," Amethyst responded, before taking another bite out of her sandwich.

Mr Stone breathed a sigh of relief at both children's responses. It was heartening to see that both children didn't hold any resentment towards their new sibling. With Jayden and Amethyst only being a year apart in age, they more or less, grew up together, so they were used to having their parent's attention divided between the both of them. However, there was a fear; that with the attention their new sibling would get; that there could be some friction.

Although, judging from their responses, it was clear that both his son and his wife, had already made it clear to both children, that even though their new sibling would need more attention to begin with, it wouldn't change anything with regards to their time spent together.

He was quickly dragged out of his thoughts by Jayden's voice.

"Although, I have convinced myself that it's going to be a boy. Like I said to you earlier grandfather, another sister would be quite bothersome." At his words, Amethyst gave a loud snort, as Jayden shot her an unimpressed glare. "What?"

"Well, that's going to be a shame for you brother, because I know it's going to be a girl, and then you'll be outnumbered, two to one."

Jayden's glare deepened.

"No, you are mistaken sister, it's going to be a boy, and then you'll be outnumbered."

Amethyst glared in return.

"No, you're mistaken, it's going to be a girl."

"No, it's going to be a boy."

"No, a girl!"

"No, a boy!"

"You are mistaken dear brother, it's going to be a sister."

"No chance dear sister, it's going to be a brother."

Mr Stone gave a heavy sigh, as he rested his elbow onto the table, before lowering his head to rest in it, as both children continued their bickering. He gave another heavy sigh, _perhaps he shouldn't have asked._

* * *

 **7:15pm**

Both children were now currently sat on the sofas in the waiting room once again, but this time, they were engrossed with interacting with their pokemon. Jayden and Aron seemed to be playing some sort of game; the pokemon trying to guess what hand Jayden was holding whatever he was hiding in; while Amethyst was grooming her Gible, who was curled up contently on her lap, obviously lavishing the attention.

Mr Stone couldn't help but let out a little relieved sigh, it was a relief to see them, not so much behaving, (because they were well behaved children, it was just their curiosity that made them seem like they were causing mischief;) but more…still. Okay, technically they weren't completely still, but they weren't doing anything that needed his undivided attention.

With that thought in mind, he decided to excuse himself to use the restroom. There was an aide just outside the door, so he was confident that everything would be all right for five minutes, while he used the facilities. Then again, surely he should have known by now, that he shouldn't assume these things, especially, when it came to his grandchildren.

As he stood there in the doorway, his eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Sometime during the five minutes he had left them alone for, they had managed to turn the whole room, more or less, upside down.

The sofa cushions were strewn over the floor; one picture frame rested askew on the wall, as both children stood in front of him, bearing sheepish expressions. Their pokemon, were currently hiding behind the sofas, head's popping out around the side every few seconds.

"Would one of you like to explain what happened here?" he asked, as he raised an incredulous eyebrow at them, awaiting some form of explanation.

Both children glanced at each other, before Jayden nudged his sister, who sent him a sharp little glare in return.

"Well, grandfather…" Amethyst began, as her attention returned towards him. "I was grooming Gible quite quietly, until Jayden threw something over towards me, causing Aron to come charging over, which ended up knocking Gible out of my arms."

At her words, a loud sound of disbelief came from her brother.

"That's so not true sister," Jayden exclaimed. "You asked to join in on the game I was playing with Aron. It wasn't our fault that you and Gible weren't ready!"

Amethyst's eyes narrowed, as she once again shot a glare at her brother stood aside of her.

"You are quite mistaken brother; that's not at all what happened."

Jayden returned her sharp glare, with a glare of his own.

"No, you are quite mistaken sister; that is definitely what happened."

"Even if that was the case, dear brother; there was no need for you to provoke us."

"Provoke you? You are so incorrect sister, because you were the one who retaliated unnecessarily, by hitting me with a cushion."

"I didn't retaliate unnecessarily, and besides, it didn't stop you from responding too."

"Well, you hit me first."

"Well, you started it."

"You overreacted."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did…"

"Jayden! Amethyst!"

At his rather loud exclaim, the argument immediately ceased, as both children shot their gazes back towards him, both of their eyes wide in shock. Judging from their expressions, it was almost as if they had completely forgotten he had been standing there. This was the third time he had witnessed this today. _He made a mental note to ask his son, when he and his wife returned later, whether this was a regular occurrence._

"Regardless of what happened here, I'm not interested in what or who started this, because as far as I am concerned, you both are responsible," he stated, rather sternly. "But there is one thing that I will not tolerate anymore, and that is the bickering with regards to it. Is that clear?"

"Yes grandfather," both children replied in unison, as they lowered their heads to face the floor.

At their rather sullen expressions, Mr Stone gave a heavy sigh, he didn't mean to be harsh with them, they were still only children after all, and these things tended to happen. He gave another heavy sigh; well, it was all water under the bridge now; no point dwelling on it, as there was work to be done.

"Since we have sorted that little issue, it seems to me; that we have a mess to clear up, doesn't it?" At his words, both children raised their heads. He couldn't help but give them a little smile. "And I do believe, we should make a start right away."

There was a murmur of "yes grandfather," before both children turned and began making an effort to tidy up the mess they had made, along with their pokemon, who had now decided to come out of hiding, to offer assistance.

As he observed this, Mr Stone couldn't help but shake his head slightly in bewilderment. He had left them alone for five minutes…five minutes, and this happened. He had to wonder how his son and daughter-in-law, managed to maintain any sort of peace and semblance in their household.

* * *

 **9:00pm**

Mr Stone gave a heavy sigh as he observed the scene in front of him. He'd just gone to get his grandchildren a glass of water each, (at their request,) but now the journey seemed pointless, because they were both now, blissfully, fast asleep.

Jayden was stretched out over one sofa; his Aron curled up on his stomach, also asleep, while Amethyst was curled up on another sofa, arms tightly wrapped around her slumbering Gible.

He couldn't help but give a little weary sigh, as he placed the two waters on the table between the sofas. Once completed, he observed his sleeping grandchildren. Like this, they looked positively innocent and so angelic. However, despite appearances, awake, they could be quite the little handfuls when they wanted to be. It was a welcome relief to actually see them still for five minutes.

Suddenly, there was a tap on the door. When he looked up, he encountered the smiling faces of both his son and daughter-in-law.

"Evening father," Steven greeted him quietly, as he had obviously noticed his children asleep. "Well, it seems like you managed alright. In fact, you seem to have worn them out."

Mr Stone had to restrain himself from snorting at his son's remark. _Oh, if only he knew the truth,_ he would have said that it was the complete opposite. However, his son didn't need to know that little detail, it would only lead to an 'I told you so,' and he didn't want to give his son the satisfaction of saying that.

With that, he plastered a smile on his face.

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about son."

"How long have they been asleep?" Cynthia enquired, whispering in order to not disturb the still slumbering children.

"Not long," he replied, before he gestured towards the slumbering children. "I went to get them a glass of water and then returned to this."

His son exchanged glances with his wife, before Cynthia made her way to the first sofa; to collect the sleeping Gible from her daughter, before making her way over to the other, in order to remove the snoozing Aron off her son's chest.

As the pressure of the pokemon resting against his chest was removed, this seemed to wake Jayden.

"Mum? Dad?" The sleepy boy asked, as he rubbed at his tired eyes, before sitting up. At the boy's rather drowsy look, Mr Stone exchanged amused glances with both his son and daughter-in-law.

"Well, good evening sleepyhead, have you had fun?" Steven finally asked, as he made his way over to kneel in front of the boy. Jayden gave a little nod, as a yawn escaped him. Steven gave him a small smile, before opening his arms for the boy. "What do you say to grandfather first?"

"Thanks grandfather, we had fun," Jayden sleepily stated, as his arms wrapped around Steven's neck, before burying his face into said neck and instantly falling back to sleep.

Mr Stone couldn't help but smile contently, as Steven lifted the boy off the sofa and onto one of his hips, before rising to his feet and making his way over to the other sofa, in order to collect his daughter, who was now sitting upright, partially awake, obviously having been disturbed by the noise around her.

At the sight of her father kneeling down in front of her, Amethyst repeated her brother's movements, as she latched onto her father, before falling immediately back to sleep. With both children securely on each hip, Steven rose to his full height once again, before returning to face him. By this time, Cynthia had made her way over to stand next to his son, arms securely around the two still slumbering pokemon, either side of her now, noticeable bump.

Mr Stone couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the sight; _talk_ _about_ _having_ _your hands_ _full_.

"Well, I think we should make a move," Cynthia stated, as she nodded her head towards the two children in her husband's arms. "I think it's time we got these two to bed." A small smile crossed her lips. "Thank you for watching them today, we really appreciate it."

"Indeed, thank you father, it was really appreciated, even if I was rather hesitant at first," Steven replied, as he glanced towards his wife, before an amused smile crossed his lips. "But please forgive us for not hugging you goodbye, but it seems our hands are a bit full."

Mr Stone couldn't help the little chuckle that broke free at his son's remark, _hadn't he just been thinking that?_

"Not to worry son, I completely understand," he replied amusedly, before nodding his head towards the slumbering parties that were attached to them. "And just think, you'll have your hands even more full in about five and half months."

At his words, the pair glanced at each other again, before exchanging amused smiles of their own.

"Well, I suppose you have a very valid point father," Steven replied, as his gaze retuned to him. At the movement, Jayden seemed to react slightly, as he buried his head further into his father's neck, but fortunately, didn't wake. "Well, I think that is our queue to leave. Wouldn't you agree, love?"

At his question, Cynthia gave a little nod, before they both began making their way towards the exit.

"Thanks again father," Steven stated, as they made their way past him. "We will see you again before we head back to Sinnoh." And with that, the pair had disappeared through the front doors and into the night.

Once they were out of sight, Mr Stone gave a weary sigh, before collapsing onto the nearest sofa. It had been so wonderful to see his grandchildren again and to have a chance to mind them, but seriously… It seemed his son hadn't been joking when he said that they could be quite a handful. He gave another weary sigh, as he ran a hand over his tired eyes.

Next time, maybe he should call for some back up, especially, as there would be three to watch. Perhaps Cynthia's grandmother could fly over to lend him a hand?

* * *

 **And there we are everyone!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this, because I certainly had fun** **writing it! Not only did it** **let me expand on the family dynamic; but also the interactions between the members of their family.**

 **Poor Mr Stone, they are two little handfuls aren't they?**

 **Don't worry, you will be seeing Jayden and Amethyst again, as they are fun to write, and I will be introducing the new sibling at some point too. Keep tuned in for that!**

 **Anyway, keep your requests coming!**

 **Until next time dear readers!**


	22. Metagross

**Hello again everyone! I'm back!**

 **I had a few requests after my Garchomp chapter, to write one from Metagross' point of view. So, on that basis, as the title suggests, this is it. Of course, if you have read the Garchomp chapter, (or chapter 19) then you'll understand what this story is about, as it follows the same tangent, but from the steel behemoth's back stroy. I think that just sums it up for you.**

 **Although, I would like to point out, that I know Metagross is technically genderless, for the purpose of this story, I made Metagross' personality male, not necessarily male, as they are genderless, but just to make it easier reading, Metagross thinks he is a male. Get it? I hope so. I'm sure you will understand as you read it.**

 **Rated K+ as no content in here could be classed as higher.**

 **Well, see you at the end...**

* * *

Metagross couldn't help but stare in astonished bewilderment at his master and companion, as he registered the words they had just spoken. It was just…shocking…well, that was too strong of a word. The more appropriate phrase to describe current events would probably be…stunned disbelief. Surely he hadn't heard correctly?

However, after glancing to the side and taking one look at Garchomp's expression, it was quite abundantly clear; that he'd definitely heard correctly. He was quite sure, the rather shocked look of sheer disbelief that was registered on the dragon's face; was quite similar to that of the one he was sporting. Although, Metagross couldn't help but give an inward chuckle, at the way that the dual ground and dragon type's mouth; was almost literally, hanging open. Any wider, and he was quite sure that a Pidgey could have fit in the gap. At least he had the good grace to not look that overly surprised.

Metagross returned his attention forward once again to where his master was stood, holding his offspring in one arm, while his other was wrapped tightly around his significant other. On observing their bright expressions, the steel behemoth couldn't really begrudge them for the news they had just shared, even if it was extremely bewildering. He couldn't help but sigh in defeat. Well, it seemed there was nothing they could do about it now, but begin to prepare for this cycle once again.

To think, a few years ago, Metagross would have never have believed that he would find himself in this situation at all, not least twice in the space of a year. The steel titan couldn't help but give another inward sigh; how'd they get to this point? It seemed like only yesterday that he'd met his master for the first time, when he had still been a Beldum and his master a mere child.

* * *

Ironically, he'd first met his master on his seventh birthday; as the steel titan had been a gift from his master's father.

When he had been released from his pokeball, the first thing that had caught his immediate attention, had been the bright blue irises of his then, young master. It wasn't so much the colour that had been intriguing, but it was the wisdom, energy and determination that had been displayed within them, that had been. Staring into those irises, the steel titan had known, without a shadow of a doubt, that the young boy was special.

Metagross had known his master was special anyway, especially, as he was the heir to one of the biggest business' in the world; but there was more to it than that, because his master had special qualities that made him unique. From his sharp wit, to his shining intelligence and charming personality; right through to his obsession with rocks and his intrigue in excavating and collecting them, everything about the boy just seemed to intrigue the steel titan. Even his enthusiasm was contagious.

He couldn't help but give a little snort at his last thought, in his youth, his master had had more energy than a Totodile and Spoink put together. How his master's father had kept up with him the steel behemoth didn't know, because there'd even been times when he himself couldn't. But despite that, Metagross couldn't deny, that he hadn't enjoyed every minute of it.

However, considering who his master was, it was no surprise that he would attract a lot of media attention wherever he went, what with him being the heir to a large company and all. So, in those early days, his master spent most of his time with him and his father, out of the limelight and the press. (Although, he did have one close friend, the current Champion of Hoenn, who to this day, Metagross still found highly annoying.)

However, during that time, the steel titan had to give his master's father some major credit, because despite the hinderance, he made sure his son was encouraged to pursue his interests, regardless of what others would say about him, which of course, was where his master's obsession with collecting rare stones and rocks had stemmed from.

Metagross could remember many a night when his master's father would recount stories of his past experiences; and the bright look of excitement and interest it was met with. Not only that, but the many times he'd demonstrate the art and techniques required to obtain these gems, which his master had picked up on rather quickly.

The steel titan couldn't help but give a little chuckle at that thought though, as he recounted the numerous occasions, where his master's father had had to call in contractors, in order to refill the holes his son had made during his little excavations. But despite that, no matter how many holes he made or how many questions he asked, he was never discouraged from pursuing his interests.

The years seemed to pass; his master began to grow, along with his intrigue with expanding his interests within the outside world. So, no longer restricted to his family's estate, they ventured out into caves and caverns, in search of their own treasures.

Whilst most children seemed to be focussed on becoming a trainer and battling their way to becoming a pokemon Champion, his master hadn't seem interested. Although, to be fair, Metagross had suspected that that, had a lot to do with his status as heir to the Devon Co-operation; and the mass amount of media attention it would bring, if he'd ventured out as an aspiring trainer. Even though he was quite a confident young man, his master had never adapted well to being surrounded by mass populations of people. He much preferred to be digging in caves, in relative solitude, which the steel behemoth had had no problems with what so ever. If his master was happy like that, then so was he.

So, life continued on pretty much like that for a few more years; until one day, on their way back home after an excavation trip, his master had locked eyes with a wandering young trainer looking for a challenge. Despite knowing who he was, the young backpacker, still had been quite eager to battle them. So, they'd politely agreed.

There was no denying, that that battle had been quite tough, especially, as they had both been highly inexperienced in battling beforehand, but despite that, they had just managed to win, if only marginally. Still, despite being tough, it had been a new experience, one that Metagross had to admit, had been rather exciting and exhilarating, and judging by the look that had flashed through his master's eyes after the battle had ended, it seemed he had had the exact same feeling.

Looking back on it now, Metagross could honestly say, it was the thrill of that battle, that must have awoken something inside of his master, because shortly after this hard fought victory, almost completely out of the blue, he'd announced that he was going to challenge for the Hoenn League title.

The steel behemoth had to admit, he'd been slightly bewildered and taken aback at first by the rather sudden, if not drastic and spontaneous decision. However, after observing the determination that shone brightly from his steely blue eyes, the steel titan couldn't help but agree whole heartedly with his master's decision, in fact, he'd felt a surge of anticipation shoot through him too at the prospect.

After coming to that rather spontaneous conclusion, his master had announced his decision to his father. That same brief look of surprise had flashed across his face too, before it was replaced instantly with a look of pure admiration and acceptance. His father's permission, was all they had needed.

So, from that day forth, a new chapter of their lives had begun, as they set out on their quest to become stronger, so that they could eventually challenge the Hoenn League.

In those early days, Metagross could vividly remember; (because of who his master was,) many challengers' severely underestimating them. Many had only seen the charming, rich heir; who had a penchant for collecting rare stones; and someone who had no experience of battling whatsoever. However, what a lot of challenger's hadn't realized though, was that underneath that rather well mannered, charming exterior; his master, was actually quite a tenacious, ruthless young man, with a stubborn side that resembled that of a Tauros. Once he'd set out to achieve something, regardless of what it was, or what obstacles stood in his way, his master wouldn't rest until he had accomplished it; battling being no different.

Suffices to say, after those first few victories, that opinion had soon changed.

So, no longer underestimated, his master strove onwards; as no challenger was ignored, as they powered through to become stronger. It had all been worth it, just to see the proud look his master had been sporting the day he had evolved into a Metang, which had once again made a re-appearance, when he had evolved into his current form. In fact, it was a look that had appeared every time one of his fellow team-mates had too.

Speaking of teammates, Metagross could vividly remember each of them joining his master's cause. There was Claydol; who'd been a little Baltoy his master had caught on Route 111; Cradily and Armaldo; who had been resurrected from fossils that his master had found on his travels thanks to Devon technology; Skarmory; who had attempted to steal his master's lunch one day; and Aggron; who had been a loving little Aron they had encountered one evening, while excavating a few stones from Granite Cave.

Together, they had joined forces, as they aided his master on his quest towards becoming the best and strongest trainer in Hoenn.

Of course it hadn't been all plain sailing, there had of course been highs and lows; tears and laughter; pain and happiness; but through it all, they had stuck together, and the rewards had been worth it, as they all grew stronger; including his master; who had somewhere along the way, grown into a handsome, intelligent, charming, strong, independent young man; a transformation, that the steel titan had been extremely proud of.

It took a few more months of training and battling, before his master had decided that they were ready to challenge the Hoenn League.

They'd started out pretty tentatively, but had quickly and steadily grown in confidence as the challenges progressed. And so, one by one, badge after badge, each gym leader was toppled; as the bonds between them all strengthened.

Metagross had to admit, the most satisfying victory, had been when they had bowled over that annoying, flamboyant friend of his master's, who had been the Sootopolis gym leader at the time. Although realistically, he shouldn't think badly of him really, because despite the man's rather irksome attitude, he had been a decent friend to his master since childhood.

But he digressed. That was a thought for another day.

After toppling gym after gym, news soon travelled around of their successes, as his master was no longer just known as being the rich heir of Devon Co-operation; but as a talented and headstrong young battler, who had the potential to become a Champion.

How right that theory had proved to be; when a few weeks after completing the Gym Challenge, they had made their way to Ever Grande City, where they had tore through the Elite Four, to finally reach the ultimate challenge, the battle for the title of Champion.

The battle itself hadn't been easy by any means, but they had expected that. Many of his teammates had succumbed to the battle, before he was summoned into the foray. However, one glance was all Metagross had needed that day. One glance at the steely determination in his master's eyes, had given him all the encouragement he needed; they'd come all this way, they weren't going to lose.

Then it happened; his final attack had landed and the battle was over. All those long months of travelling, battling and training had finally paid off. They'd finally become the best in Hoenn; they were Champions. Metagross couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle, as he remembered his master's rather blasé and laid back reaction to their victory at the time. It was almost as if his master had only accepted the challenge in order to say he'd accomplished it, which the steel titan had found to be quite amusing at the time.

Of course, after their victory, there'd been a mass amount of fanfare and media attention, which wasn't really that surprising. However, despite the fact that his master usually hated being the centre of attention, he had took all the fanfare being crowned Champion had brought him, all in his stride. Of course, having dealt with being in the spotlight since a child, it came as no surprise to him, that his master would be well versed on how to deal with it in the long run, plus, how to avoid it if necessary.

Although, despite the fact that they had been crowned Champions, nothing much seemed to change. Aside from partaking in regulatory Champion duties now and again, his master still found time to travel to locate rare stones for his collection, and aid his father if necessary. In fact, as the months seemed to pass, their lives seemed to follow a routine, one that he had to admit, became rather predictable.

Fast-forward two years, and still nothing had changed. Champion wise, no-one seemed to come close to posing any sort of real challenge. So, with no threat of being defeated, life for them as Champions became rather...well...boring and mundane. Even though his master had never mentioned it, Metagross knew him well enough to know, that he had needed a new challenge; a new goal; a new outlook; one that could peak his interest and feed his curiosity, or just provide a new thrill.

Then came that fateful day…the day where his master had met his now, significant other; the indomitable Sinnoh Champion.

Metagross, to this day, could still vividly remember his master's sheer look of surprise at the woman's rather bold challenge request upon their meeting. Honestly, even he had been slightly taken aback by it at first, but then the feeling of amusement had shot through him, as he recalled his master's rather flustered acceptance.

The battle had been a tough one; one which they had narrowly lost, thanks to a perfectly executed Draco Meteor, from now fellow colleague; Garchomp. To be fair, even though they had lost, the battle had been rather enjoyable and quite refreshing, as challenges had been few and far between then. No one had really posed any sort of resilience until that day.

After that rather thrilling battle, his master had offered to buy the Sinnoh Champion dinner, as a sort of loser's treat; to which she had agreed. Metagross couldn't help but give a little snort at the memory, because even though his master had worded his invitation in such a way, that you would assume it was some form of repayment for her victory, he had suspected that there was more to his request than met the eye. He was quite sure, his master had only asked, because he hadn't been quite willing to part ways with the Sinnoh Champion that soon. Metagross couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the memory, loser's treat indeed. His master may have been able to fool most people, but not him.

Thinking back on it now, the whole scenario amused the steel behemoth greatly, because never before, had he witnessed his master be that flustered or nervous around anyone before, especially, someone of the opposite sex. Even though it was quite amusing to observe, there'd been no question about it in his mind; his master had definitely been extremely interested in the woman, and judging from Garchomp's reaction at the time, it seemed the feeling had been quite mutual on her trainer's end too.

After her eventual departure, from that day forward, thus began a lot of phone calls and video messages, as his master kept in frequent correspondence with the Sinnoh Champion. Metagross had to admit; it had been a rather surprising, if not a welcome change, to see his master interacting with someone on a regular basis. It had been refreshing to say the least.

That wasn't to say that his master didn't have friends, he did, some more so than others, (like that annoying, flamboyant, current Champion of Hoenn,) but he'd never really gotten close to anyone, until he met her. It was quite extraordinary really, because he'd never seen him interact quite like that with anyone else before. It was uncanny, but their personalities just seemed to compliment each other perfectly.

Metagross couldn't help but give a little snort at the thought…well, he had a feeling there'd been a lot more to it than just that; because it hadn't escaped his attention, that since they had begun their frequent interactions; his master had become a much happier and brighter person to be around. Of course, it didn't take a genius to figure out, that his master had been quite attracted to blonde Champion. He may have been a pokemon, but he certainly wasn't blind; and he was quite sure that his teammates had noticed the differences too.

Metagross couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle, as he remembered his master's constant denial on the matter. However, no matter how valiantly he tried to deny it, (especially, when he'd been constantly questioned by his father and the irritating, current Hoenn Champion,) he needn't have bothered, because it had been extremely apparent through his body language; that he'd been completely smitten with the Sinnoh Champion.

But, regardless of whether his master was aware of his feelings or not, Metagross had been happy for him either way.

So, the months seemed to pass, and as they did, the frequency of their interactions seemed to substantially increase. His master still kept in contact with her through video and phone messages, but then came more physical interactions, as they began to see each other more during their spare time. Monthly meet-ups became fortnightly, before becoming weekly; as their time spent together saw them venturing into ruins and caves, researching into myths and legends, and spending late nights chatting or attending dinners. During this period of time, the steel behemoth couldn't recall a time prior to their meeting, where he had witnessed his master be that jubilant about spending time with someone.

Of course, it was inevitable that the more time they spent together, the closer they became; and it hadn't slipped Metagross' attention; (Garchomp's too, if the smirk she had been sporting during their masters' interactions had been anything to go by,) that the closer they got, the deeper the attraction became.

With that knowledge, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the inevitable would happen between them, a theory that had been proved correct when, on a snowy evening in late November, his master had finally given into the attraction; by kissing the Sinnoh Champion right in the middle of their walk around Lake Acuity.

The steel behemoth couldn't deny though; that he'd been quite surprised by the scene at first, before a feeling of bewildered amusement had overtaken him. Metagross had never thought his master had had it in him to be that bold, but he'd been quite glad that he'd been pleasantly proved wrong in his assumptions. And, it seemed his master's rather bold move worked in his favour, because after they pulled away from their initial kiss, the Sinnoh Champion had responded quite enthusiastically, by reciprocating his affections with a kiss of her own.

Afterwards, the new couple had then spent the rest of their time that evening, strolling merrily around Lake Acuity, hands intertwined; and briefly stopping every few minutes, to share a kiss. It had been a truly heartening sight, although, Metagross couldn't help but snicker, as he remembered the rather cringe worthy expression that Garchomp had been sporting every time that had happened. However, despite the astonishment and uncomfortable feeling it had initially brought, there was no denying, deep down, they'd both been thrilled for their trainers.

After witnessing that rather…astonishing turn of events, thus begun a lot of travelling between Hoenn and Sinnoh, in order for his master to spend time with his now, romantic partner. There was no denying, that all that travelling had been pretty gruelling, to say the least, but Metagross had paid no heed to it, nor did he grumble once, because despite everything, he'd just been glad to see his master happy.

Sometimes though, the steel behemoth had to admit, the frequent displays of affection could have been toned down a little. Admittedly, their bestowing of affection on each other didn't really bother him that much, unlike Garchomp, who had had a tendency to shift uncomfortably or cringe every time she witnessed something. Metagross couldn't help but give a little snicker at the thought; because to this day, the land shark pokemon still wasn't overly comfortable with it. But, regardless of that little detail, it had been a welcoming sight to see both of their trainers' joyful; and they weren't the only ones either.

When his master had finally announced his relationship to his acquaintances back in Hoenn, the response he'd been met with was also highly positive; if not slightly embarrassing for him in some respects, especially, as both his father and closest friend (even though they had been both joyous,) had took it upon themselves to express their sentiments in a rather teasing manner. Metagross couldn't help the amusement that spread through him, as he remembered his master's rather flustered and embarrassed reactions, every time one of them made a passing comment. Although, despite the teasing, everyone had been thrilled with the announcement.

And so, the relationship progressed.

However, with his master still being the Champion of Hoenn, and his partner the Champion of Sinnoh, the matter of distance had still been a major issue, well...that was until one particular day in the late summer, when he'd flown his master over to the League President in order for him to hand in his resignation.

The steel titan couldn't deny; that he'd been slightly stunned at first by the immediate announcement, although, thinking back on it now, Metagross had to admit, it hadn't been much of surprise in the end, because he'd guessed the decision had been coming, however, that still didn't mean it wasn't a shock when it actually did. Even his fellow teammate's had been just as bewildered at first, but in the end, they'd all been expecting it.

So, the following day after his monumental decision, he'd then flown his master over to Sinnoh. Metagross could vividly remember the Sinnoh Champion's immediate look of sheer surprise at his master's announcement. However, shortly after, that had been quickly replaced with a wave of pure excitement, as she had launched herself at him, tightly wrapping him into her embrace.

Another new chapter had begun that day; life after being Champions.

With the freedom that his master now had, his relationship with his partner continued to deepen, and it came to a point, where Metagross had realized, that their stays in Sinnoh seemed to stretch for longer periods of time, so much so, that his master's partner's residency, became more of a home to them all, more so than their Hoenn residency.

Thus, it came as no surprise, when a few weeks after that realization, his master finally announced that he was moving in with his partner permanently.

In the end, the decision had been inevitable, as no one back in Hoenn had seemed the least bit surprised at the announcement either, well...almost everyone. Metagross couldn't help but give a small eye roll as he remembered the annoying, current Champion of Hoenn's response to the news. As far as he was concerned, he'd been way too over-dramatic about the decision.

So, upon that day, another new chapter began; moving in together.

So, with the help of himself, his teammates, acquaintances, the Sinnoh Champion and her team, his master's relocation to Sinnoh commenced. Admittedly, even though they had been spending most of their time there, that wasn't to say there hadn't been any teething problems at first, when they did fully move in, mostly on their part, as their space was now permanently divided between twelve, rather than six. Metagross couldn't help but give a little snort, as he remembered in those early days, Garchomp's cry of outrage at Aggron's lack of personal boundaries. Even to this day, the steel type always seemed to find ways in which to be on the receiving end of the land shark pokemon's ire. However, for the sake of both of their trainers' happiness, they had all compromised.

Metagross didn't think his master could be anymore content with how things were, until he'd purchased a ring. Even though he was a pokemon, the meaning of that ring wasn't lost on him, because he was well aware of the significance of his master presenting that ring to his partner would mean.

The steel behemoth couldn't deny, that he'd been a tad bit surprised upon seeing it at first, but it had quickly been replaced with amusement, when he'd witnessed his master's rather flustered and nervous expression, under the scrutinizing gaze of his partner's grandmother, when he had visited her to ask for permission.

In the end though, his master needn't have been nervous, because the older woman had been quite happy to give him the required permission. His master had been relieved and Metagross had to admit, so he had been as well.

So, a week after receiving permission, on a clear wintery evening, on another leisurely stroll around Lake Acuity, his master had gotten onto one knee and had finally proposed to his partner. There had been a momentary pause of silence, to which Metagross had been slightly worried at, but in the end, he needn't have been, because moments later, the Sinnoh Champion had joyfully and tearfully accepted. No longer were they just partners, they were each other's betrothed.

Almost immediately after the joyous occasion, the public announcement had been met with a mass flurry of activity, as his master and betrothed, along with a number of their acquaintances, had begun planning their upcoming nuptials. To be fair, Metagross had found the whole ordeal quite amusing, in comparison to Garchomp, who had found the whole ordeal completely bewildering.

Despite their opinions, the marriage went ahead, and needless to say, all that preparation and planning had paid off, as the event had been a major success.

Metagross could remember the strong feeling of pride that had shot through him that day, as he had observed his master finally commit himself to his betrothed. The immense look of joy that had been present upon his face had said it all; this was exactly where they were supposed to be.

Henceforth, from that day onwards, another new chapter began; married life.

Months seemed to pass, but to be fair, nothing much changed at first, until that one day in late summer, when his master and companion had gathered all of them together to announce a rather important piece of news; news that had ultimately changed all of their lives.

They were expecting a child.

Metagross couldn't deny, at first, he'd been extremely bewildered and surprised at the rather sudden announcement. A child? Really? This soon?

It appeared he wasn't the only one that thought so either, if the expressions his fellow pokemon had been expressing had been anything to go by. (Well...maybe apart from Roserade, she'd been more than ecstatic about the news.) The steel behemoth never thought it would happen…well…he knew it would eventually happen, but not this soon into their newly married life.

However, despite being perplexed greatly by the surprise announcement, after taking one look at his master's bright and excited expression, one which was completely mirrored upon his significant other's face, Metagross knew, that without a shadow of a doubt, that they'd both been extremely pleased and thrilled with the news.

Metagross couldn't help but give a little sigh at the memory. So, from that day onwards, another new chapter had begun; the preparation for the new, upcoming addition to their family.

Metagross could vividly remember one evening, shortly after the announcement, after his significant other had gone to sleep, his master gathering all of them together, insisting that they aid him in keeping a watchful eye over his companion, in order to make sure both her and the baby were safe and healthy, to which they had all vehemently agreed too. So, on that basis, both he and Garchomp, had taken the head responsibility of carrying out his master's instructions.

However, the steel titan couldn't help but give an inward chuckle, as he remembered the few rather stern words his master's significant other had given his master, (and the rather sheepish expression he had been sporting during it,) when she'd realized what he'd asked them all to do.

However, regardless of her rather stern and loud objections, she did finally give in, when she had realized that her complaints fell on rather deaf ears. Whether she liked it or not, they'd all continue to watch over her.

So, little disagreements aside, they had all rallied together, in order to make sure his master's companion's pregnancy went as smoothly as possible…well…or as close to smooth as they possibly could make it. It had been a different form of teamwork in comparison to what they had all been used too, (well...technically, what the Sinnoh Champion's team were still used too;) but they had all somehow managed to pull together.

Of course, it hadn't all been plain sailing; that would have been far too easy. There had been a…few minor little incidents, but more so on his master's significant other's part more than anything, due to her rather unpredictable mood changes. There were numerous occasions, when they seemed to go from one extreme to the next. One moment she would be sleepy, then irritable, then complaining, then sullen and even weepy, if that one time, (around five months into the pregnancy,) when he'd witnessed her burst into tears because she'd caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, was anything to go by.

It had taken two tubs of ice cream and a vast amount of hugs and words of comfort from his master, to finally get her to settle down, much to the relief of them all. Although, to be fair, Metagross could hardly blame her for those little incidents, she'd been carrying a child after all, so those sorts of things were to be expected. However, Garchomp had been seriously confused, if not confounded by the whole ordeal, which the steel titan had found to be quite amusing.

Despite those few...minor incidents, Metagross had to admit; they had all done themselves proud. Although, most of the credit for this smooth transition period, had to go to his master; because despite everything, he had remained a steady pillar of strength throughout it all. Not one complaint fazed him, and no matter what his wife needed or wanted, he went and got it for her without question. Metagross had to admit, he'd been extremely proud of his master's unwavering devotion to the woman.

The months passed steadily, until the fateful day finally arrived. Metagross could remember the flash of panic that had crossed his master's face at the sight of his significant other in pain; and he hadn't been the only one. However, all their fears and panic were eliminated completely, by the sound of Jayden's first cry.

The new addition to their family had finally arrived.

It was an hour after his birth, before they finally got to see the boy, and upon finally meeting Jayden for the first time, Metagross couldn't help but remember the amusement that had spread through him upon his examination of the boy, because it had almost felt like deja-vu to him. For as he had stared into the bright blue irises of the newly born child, he could have sworn blind, that he was once again staring into the eyes of his master as a child; the boy he even had the same hair colour. Yes indeed, Jayden was the spitting image of his master.

Metagross couldn't help but give an inward chuckle as he remembered Garchomp's rather confused expression, upon examining the child. She had obviously been perplexed by the fact, that despite being her trainer's son, the boy didn't seem to have any defining physical characteristics of her trainer whatsoever. However, after she took one look at her trainer's rather content expression, a look that had been clearly displayed across his master's too, the land shark pokemon's confusion had dissipated.

On that day, Metagross could honestly say, he had never seen his master that content with his life, until that very moment; sat on the hospital bed, with one arm tightly wrapped around his significant other, the other securely around his son. It had been extremely wonderful, if not pleasing, to see them both so content with life.

So, from that moment on, thus began another new chapter; little Jayden Stone.

Metagross had to admit; the first few days after his master and companion had brought the boy home, had been quite peculiar and rather strange to say the least. Not only did they have to adjust to this new little being living with them, but also, the mass amount of attention and visits from acquaintances, who had been eager to see the boy; that was without the mass amount of gifts they had received for him. Putting it mildly, those early days had been perplexing to say the least.

But aside from those rather animated early couple of days, the boy had settled comfortably into their daily life. Although, there was one thing that they could have all lived without; and that was the constant disruptions and noise little Jayden brought to their household. In the first few months, there was no denying, that the constant demands and cries of the boy had been quite a vexation, if not a little bothersome. How such a little thing could cause such a mass amount of disturbance had been quite confounding to say the least.

However, in one sense, Metagross supposed he couldn't really begrudge the little boy, because despite his constant demands, the boy had brought a lot of joy to his master and significant other. Jayden, had become their whole world, as he bonded them together in a way nothing else could. He was the tangible symbol of the deep admiration and love that they shared. So, in that respect, the steel titan couldn't really complain.

Now, six months later, little Jayden had finally begun to settle a little, which, if Metagross was truly honest, was a welcome relief, to all. Finally, maybe they could all get some decent rest now...

* * *

Well…so he thought, or rather, they all thought...until this recent bombshell.

His master and significant other, were expecting another child.

The steel titan felt that he had every right to feel bewildered by the whole thing, because not even a year had passed since Jayden's birth, and yet his master was going to be a father for a second time? It was confounding to say the least.

However, Metagross was finally pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his master's jovial voice.

"As I said, I will be relying on you guys to keep a watchful eye, just like last time."

At his remark, his master's significant other gave a quiet cry of disbelief.

"Steven, how many more times do I have to tell you, I don't need to be waited on hand and foot constantly," she reprimanded his master quietly, in order to not wake the still slumbering Jayden, his master was cradling against his shoulder. "I managed perfectly fine carrying Jayden."

"Ah, but you didn't already have a young child then," his master stated, before his top lip curled up in the corner slightly. "Besides Cynthia, you can't deny that you didn't appreciate our help. In fact, if I remember correctly, if it weren't for our undivided attentions being focussed on you, you probably wouldn't have got out of bed some mornings."

His master's significant other flushed slightly, before giving a little huff at his remarks.

"Well, that was the first time I've ever been pregnant, I didn't know what to expect," she replied, as her eyes narrowed slightly at his master's rather amused expression. "Besides, I will be more prepared this time."

His master gave a little chuckle.

"You might as well admit defeat dear," he replied, clearly amused despite the glare he was receiving. "You know we are all going to do it, whether you agree to it or not."

"Steven, we've been over this…"

Observing his master once again, as he continued to playfully bicker with his significant other, Metagross couldn't help but give a little sigh at the sight. So, undoubtedly, a new chapter to their story; had already begun it seemed; offspring number two.

In one sense, it was quite staggering to think about; how time seemed to have flown by, like it had been caught in a Pidgeot's Whirlwind. How his master had grown. But despite all that, Metagross couldn't deny, (even though he was still slightly bewildered;) that he was actually quite content with where this path had taken them; and, if he was totally honest, he was quite intrigued to see what lie in store for them, especially, as it seemed their family was about to get even bigger.

The steel titan was finally dragged out of his musings once again, by a sharp bark of laughter.

"Well, it looks like I better stock up on the ice-cream then, hadn't I?" His master cheekily stated, with a wink towards his companion.

But before his significant other could formulate any sort of response to his rather cheeky remark, he had leant in to capture her lips with his own, (mindful of the still slumbering child resting against his shoulder,) a move that was completely and enthusiastically reciprocated by his companion, despite her annoyance.

Metagross gave a heavy sigh at the sight...well, it looked like they had better start preparing themselves for this new arrival, and the lack of any decent rest that they'd all be getting for another few years it seemed…

Although, Metagross had to admit, a few years might have been optimistic in his opinion, because judging by the embrace that his master and significant other were sharing, it looked like they may not even stop at two.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap everyone. Well, what did you all think?**

 **So, I followed the same sort of structure like the Garchomp story, but I made Metagross' a little more into the future. So, obviously, if you have read my other stories, then you can guess, that Cynthia is now indeed pregnant with Amethyst.**

 **I am slowly, but surely linking some of my stories together; and along the way, all the while, hopefully giving you some back story. I know there are some chapters out there that don't fall into the same timelines, but this family arc one has been a very big request, so I am trying to give you as much of these as I can.**

 **Well, until next time dear readers and please remember, keep those requests coming, whether it's this family arc, or just a stand alone you'd like to see.**

 **Until then...**


	23. A Typical Day In The Stone Residency

**Hello again everyone!**

 **I'm finally back with a story for you all! I apologise for my lengthy disappearance, but I've had a bit of drama in real life with regards to numerous things, but I won't bore you with the details.**

 **Anyhow, I'm back with another family story for you. So, as the title suggests, it's a look into a day in the life of the Stone family. This** **actually fits into the family timeline, and takes place five months after 'The Battle,' (chapter 12) and three months after the, 'Minding The Grandchildren,' chapter, (chapter 21). It isn't really necessary to read these stories first, but if you are new to my stories, I would recommend reading them; as there are a few things mentioned in this that can relate to those chapters.**

 **There is a guest appearances by Wallace and Riley in here too.**

 **Story is pretty self explanatory, but it is told from Steven's point of view and his thoughts are in italics.**

 **Rated K+ as there really isn't anything in here that can be classed as higher.**

 **Onwards dear readers, see you at the end!**

* * *

 **8:00**

The beeping of a rather loud alarm awoke Steven from his peaceful slumber.

He gave a little yawn, before raising his left arm, in order to shut off the annoying sound, before rubbing at his tired eyes with said hand.

As the drowsiness seemed to pass, Steven's attention averted towards the woman who was currently wrapped around him. He gave a little content smile, before leaning down to place a kiss on top of her head.

"Good morning Cynthia," Steven cheerily greeted.

However, despite his cheeriness, all he was met with was a rather loud growl from his wife, as he felt her arms tighten around his waist. Steven couldn't help but give a little chuckle at her disgruntled response.

"Come on darling, you know we have to get up this morning."

"Not yet," Cynthia grumbled, (well…mumbled,) as her face was currently, still planted into his chest.

Steven couldn't help but let a little amused smirk break out across his lips, at his wife's dismissive response. As much as he would love to remain laying there, basking in her warmth for the rest of the morning, unfortunately, they both had places they needed to be today.

"Cynthia…you know we can't," he softly replied, as he leant down to place another kiss against the top of her head. "Come on dear."

However, despite his words, his wife made no effort whatsoever, in attempting to get up. In fact, judging from her lack of any coherent movement at all, it seemed; that she had fallen straight back to sleep. Steven gave a little amused snicker, before running his fingers through her long, silky blonde hair.

"Cynthia, don't you fall back to sleep, we need to get up."

At her still, lack of response, Steven gave a little sigh, before shaking his head slightly in bewilderment, _she was obstinate, he'd give her that._ With that thought in mind, he raised his left hand, in order to shake her shoulder slightly.

"Hey sleepyhead, come on."

It seemed his persistence finally paid off, as he heard her give a low groan, before she released her tight grip from around him. Although, instead of getting up, like he had insisted; she ended up rolling over, so her back was towards him, before burying her face into the pillow on her side of the bed.

At her rather abrupt movement, Steven couldn't help but stare at her back with a look of incredulity; it seemed, that despite his persistence, she wasn't going to give in that easily _. He had to give it to his wife; she could be extremely stubborn when she wanted to be._

"Cynthia…" he exclaimed, as he raised his hand again, in order to shake her shoulder. "You know we have to get up dear."

Despite his pushiness, his wife just gave another groan, as she buried her face further into her pillow, before pulling the quilt tighter around herself; completely ignoring his protests.

Steven couldn't help but give a little chuckle at her stubbornness; no one would ever believe or guess; that his wife; Cynthia; the indomitable Champion of Sinnoh, known for her vibrant personality and helpful tendencies, was not a morning person.

In one sense, he supposed he couldn't really blame her; she was five months pregnant after all. But then again, she wasn't a morning person at the best of times; however, it did tend to be a lot worse when she was pregnant.

After another few minutes of receiving no movement from the woman beside him, Steven rolled onto his side in order to lean over her slightly, before using his left hand to brush the hair away from her face.

"Come on dear, you know we have to get up. You have a league meeting to attend and I have to help out in the Sinnoh branch today," he softly stated, as he leant down to place a kiss on her now exposed cheek. "Plus, we have to get the children up and drop them off at class."

Another growl came from his wife, but still no coherent movement. Steven couldn't help but give a little sigh of agitation; _he loved her completely, but sometimes, her stubbornness could be quite trying._

"Cynthia…I'm serious."

She must have finally registered his chagrin, because she slowly began to move slightly. However, what she did next, completely took him off guard.

Before Steven could move, Cynthia had abruptly rolled back towards him; tightly locking her arms back around his waist, before planting her head over his bare chest once again. Her rather abrupt movement, plus the fact that she'd used her whole body-weight, made him collapse back onto the mattress; once again, becoming a prisoner of her embrace. _She had an extremely tight grip, for someone of her stature, that was for sure._

Steven couldn't help but give a little sigh at the situation, _it looked like he was back to square one again._

* * *

 **8:45**

After finally managing to detangle himself from his wife, (still rather unwillingly on her part,) Steven finally made his way into his son's bedroom.

As he stepped inside, he couldn't help but stop, as a fond smile spread across his lips, as he took in the sight of his son.

Jayden, was spread out on his back, one leg hanging off the side of his bed; one arm wrapped around his Aron, (who was dozing by the side of him,) while the other was straightened out across his bed, hand tightly clasping a dusk stone.

Steven couldn't help but give a little chuckle at the sight; it seemed that his son, had obviously fallen asleep sometime during his research into the dusk stone he was holding, (that coincidently, he had given him as a gift, from one of his excavation trips,) if the book that had fallen onto the floor next to his bed, was anything to go by.

Steven couldn't help but give another little chuckle at Jayden's rather dishevelled appearance. It actually brought back rather fond memories, as he'd lost count of the number of times his own father, had found him in this form of disarray when he was a child. He couldn't help but stare fondly at the boy, there was simply no doubt about it, Jayden was definitely, his son.

Conscious of the time, Steven gave a little shake of his head, in order to clear away his thoughts, before finally making his way over to the bed.

"Good morning Jayden," Steven cheerily greeted the boy, as he shook his shoulder slightly. "It's time to get up."

However, all he was met with was a rather loud groan, as the boy instantly turned away from him, in order to bury his face into his pillow. _Well, this is vaguely familiar,_ Steven thought, as he couldn't help the little snicker that broke free at his son's, rather unhappy response to being woken up. Even Aron seemed to curl in on itself more.

He gave a heavy sigh, before shaking the boy's shoulder again.

"Come on Jayden, we can't be late today."

All he was met with was another groan of displeasure, before a muffled, "Dad…do I have to?" could be heard.

Steven had to refrain from laughing at his son's response. Even though Jayden may have been the reincarnation of himself in both physical and mental appearance, there was one thing that he seemed to have inherited from his mother after all; and that was her sheer distaste for getting up in the mornings.

* * *

 **9:00**

After finally getting his son moving, (to some degree anyway,) he made his way to his daughter's room.

As he reached her doorway, he couldn't help but stop and lean against her doorframe; as he took in the sight of his daughter.

Amethyst, was sat upright against her headboard, pillows stacked up behind her, deeply engrossed into the book she was currently holding, while her Gible was curled up by her feet, fast asleep.

Steven couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight, _well; at least I'm not the only one that is awake this morning._ However, in truth, this didn't really surprise him. Many mornings he had come into her room and found her in a similar position. It was uncanny, but Amethyst was the complete opposite to her brother; she may have been her mother's reincarnation, (apart from her eyes), but it was pleasing to know; that at least she didn't share the same morning affliction; that his wife and son seemed to share.

Steven had to admit, it was actually a welcome relief; he didn't quite know how he would have coped with the entirety of their family being un-morning people. (He spared a hope that his new son or daughter didn't have the same affliction too.)

However, back to the matter at hand, despite the fact that he'd been standing in her doorway for the last two minutes, it seemed Amethyst, still hadn't noticed his presence, as she hadn't glanced away once from the book in her hands. Steven couldn't help but shake his head slightly in amusement; _she was definitely Cynthia's daughter._

After another minute of no recognition from her, Steven finally cleared his throat in order to grab her attention. At the sound, Amethyst seemed to emerge from the book, as her gaze slowly averted towards him.

"Oh…good morning father," Amethyst greeted him, before a sheepish smile spread across her lips. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were there." She lifted the book to show him. "I was reading."

Steven couldn't help but give another little inward chuckle at her words; _she was definitely her mother's daughter all right._

"Good morning Amethyst," he replied amusingly, before standing up straight and making his way further into her room. "I can see that. I take it you are enjoying the book?"

Amethyst nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Well you see, it is rather fascinating father. It's about Sinnoh's mythology on the Great Lakes. It explains how each Lake was given their unique names, and how it links back to the legendary pokemon that are supposed to reside within them." She lowered her gaze back towards the pages of the book. "In fact, I'm three quarters of the way through. It shouldn't take me long to finish. "

Steven couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his daughter's response. He knew exactly where this was going, and to what she was implying when she said those words; as he'd seen it and heard it far too often, not only from her; but his wife and son also. In layman's terms, she wasn't going to budge, until she finished that book.

His theory was indeed proved correct when Amethyst became, once again, engrossed into the book she was holding. He couldn't help but give a little exasperated sigh, before clearing his throat, in order to grab his daughter's attention once again.

"Well, be that as it may young lady, you still need to get up. You need to get ready, as we are leaving soon."

At his rather direct words, Amethyst raised her widened eyes towards him, as a pure look of aghast crossed her features.

"But…but…father! It's just getting to the climax! I can't just leave it now!" Amethyst exclaimed, before her face contorted into a pout. "Please dad?"

Steven gave another heavy sigh. She only used the word 'dad,' in that tone of voice, when she wanted something, or was trying to get away with something. It was scarily similar to the way in which Cynthia would say his name, when she wanted him to do something for her.

Normally, they'd get their way; (he never did seem to have a backbone when it came to his wife and children,) but on this occasion, he had to stand firm.

"Unfortunately Amethyst, I can't allow that today. You know we have to go into work and due to that, you and Jayden have to go to classes today."

Amethyst gave a huff, before throwing herself backwards onto her bed, before burying her face into her pillow in annoyance.

Steven couldn't help but give another heavy sigh, before running a hand across his forehead in exasperation, _he just hoped his new child, wouldn't be this much hassle in the morning._

* * *

 **9:30**

After much cajoling and grumbling, Steven had finally managed to get both children up and dressed, (well…in some shape or form,) before seating them down at the kitchen table, as they helped themselves to breakfast.

"But why do we have to go to classes today?" Amethyst grumbled, as she continued to nibble on the slice of toast in front of her. "I mean, our time could be used much more wisely father."

Jayden gave a nod in agreement.

"Amethyst is right dad. It's not as if we don't know half of the stuff they teach already, if not all."

"Indeed," Amethyst enthusiastically agreed, before giving a sigh. "I really don't see why we have to go."

Steven gave a heavy sigh, as he took in the two incredulous stares he was receiving from his offspring. They both weren't too impressed with the idea of going to classes today, in fact, they'd both been complaining about the prospect since he'd told them yesterday.

He had to admit; in one sense, they did have a point. Both of them were rather intelligent for their age; (a trait they had inherited from both himself and Cynthia,) and he had no doubt; that what they said was most probably true, but unfortunately, there was no other option for them today.

He was just about to inform them of that for the fifth time, but was thankfully, beaten to the punch.

"Because your father is going to be busy helping in the Sinnoh branch of Devon Co-operation today, and I've got a very important league meeting to attend," a stern female voice exclaimed from behind them.

At the voice, they all averted their attention towards the doorway to the kitchen, where Cynthia had just entered through, still, it seemed, highly unimpressed for being awoken at such, and to quote, _'an ungodly hour.'_

Steven watched as his wife shuffled over towards where they were sat, before planting herself, rather elegantly, (despite the rather prominent bump), in the remaining seat at the table, before reaching for a slice of toast from the stack in front of her.

"Furthermore, there is no-one to watch you while we are unavailable. So, you'll have to join some of the other children today," she continued, as she made to pour herself a cup of tea from the teapot, that had been in the centre of the table.

However, despite her explanation, Steven could see that both children were not appeased by the comments in the slightest. It seemed, that they were both about to make their sentiments known again, but were quickly dissuaded by the stern look Cynthia shot them.

"And, because we said so." Her expression left no room for any more arguments; they were going, and that was that.

The message it seemed; had been received loud and clear, as both children lowered their gazes back towards the table, as they resumed eating their breakfast quietly. No more complaints were uttered.

Steven couldn't help but raise his mug to his lips, in order to hide his little smirk of amusement at the whole scenario that had just played out in front of him. _It seemed that Cynthia's distaste for mornings, did come in handy on occasions._

* * *

 **10:25**

After departing their home, ten minutes later than they should have, thanks to Jayden misplacing his shoes; ( _nice try),_ they had finally been on their way.

After some very skilful flying from Metagross, Steven had managed to get them to Veilstone, exactly five minutes before their class was due to start, much to both Jayden's and Amethyst's dismay.

"I know you both don't like attending these classes, but unfortunately, we have no option today, as everyone is unavailable," Steven explained sympathetically, as a small little smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "But please, at least try to have some fun today; for mine and your mother's sake."

At his words, Jayden and Amethyst exchanged glances, before they both gave little sighs. There was a united, "yes father," as they each gave him a hug goodbye, before turning around and heading towards the class entrance, where the teacher was waiting for them. Steven had to refrain from laughing, at the way that his offspring slowly made their way towards the building, it was almost as if they were walking towards their execution.

To be fair, he did feel kind of remorseful, for having to make them go; he never did like leaving them in other people's care at the best of times, (Cynthia didn't either,) and especially, in some place they obviously didn't want to be. However, it wasn't as if they had a choice today.

He waited until they had finally entered the building, before turning around and reaching for Metagross' pokeball once again. He couldn't help but release a heavy sigh; _it was time to go to work._

* * *

 **12:15**

 _Today it seemed, was just going to be one of those days,_ Steven thought, as he ran a hand through his tousled locks, as he once again took in the paperwork in front of him.

He'd already received a call from Cynthia already this morning, explaining that her meeting with the league, was going to drag on for far longer than she had anticipated, meaning she wouldn't be able to make it home until late evening, much to her dismay. She'd apologized, (after expressing a few choice words about the situation, which he found to be quite hilarious,) but he hadn't needed it; it wasn't her fault after all.

It just meant now, he had to try and get everything completed by at least quarter to five, in order to make sure he was back in Veilstone, in order to pick up Amethyst and Jayden at five o'clock. That wouldn't usually be a problem, but today, it was proving to be a lot more difficult than he had first anticipated.

Not only was the Sinnoh branch behind on its paperwork, there was a lot of shipments that needed to be processed, before they could be sent out to other companies; plus, there was a very important shipment being delivered into the branch at one o'clock today, that needed to be checked off and stored away; that was without any other little issues that needed his attention.

Steven couldn't deny, that his father hadn't been joking when he had mentioned in his last phone call; that Devon was busy at the present. He couldn't help but give a little sigh at the thought; _maybe he should have stayed in bed this morning, like Cynthia and his children had wanted._

* * *

 **15:00**

After finally completing all the required shipping documentation, and aiding in storing away the delivered items, Steven finally made his way towards the cafeteria in order to grab some lunch; _and five minutes peace._

However, his plans were thwarted, when he heard a rather unexpected voice call out to him.

"Steven! Oh Steven! Where art thou dear friend?"

He couldn't help but freeze at the rather, overly cheerful voice; that had called out his name from somewhere behind him. It was a voice that he could instantly recognize anywhere; be it a shout or a whisper…Wallace. _Oh hell, when did he arrive in Sinnoh? More importantly…why in Arceus' sake was he in Sinnoh?_

But before he had a chance to move, the voice could be heard again, a lot closer than last time.

"Ah! There you are!"

 _Damn, it was too late to hide now._

After mentally counting to five in his head, Steven finally turned towards the source of the voice, only to be instantly pulled, rather tightly, into a bone-crushing hug, by said owner of the voice.

"Oh, it's so wonderful to see you again my friend, it has been far too long!" Wallace exclaimed, rather jubilantly.

Steven could feel the oxygen rapidly leaving his lungs, at the water specialist's rather enthusiastic greeting.

"Wallace," Steven exclaimed, gasping for breath, as he tried to pry his arms out of the Hoenn Champion's tight embrace. "Please…let…me…go."

Thankfully, his desperate pleas; seemed to finally get through to the water specialist.

"Oh, sorry Steven," Wallace replied, while releasing him from his tight embrace. "But I'm just so happy to see you, it feels like it has been forever."

Steven coughed slightly, (as he slowly felt the air returning to his lungs,) before he let out a little grimace at Wallace's words. _He'd only seen the man two months ago, it wasn't like it had been years, like he was implying._ However, he decided to keep those thoughts to himself, because he knew; that just speaking those words out loud to the man; would only cause carnage; _well…it would be carnage in my eyes_.

So, instead, he gave a little clear of his throat, before levelling his gaze towards the man stood directly in front of him.

"If you forgive my bluntness Wallace, but may I enquire as to why you are here?"

"Ah…well you see, there's a contest being held over in Hearthome City over the next few days, and I've been asked to be a judge," Wallace replied, before folding his arms. "Of course, I couldn't turn down such a glorious opportunity. I mean; I am a world-class performer after all. Also, I couldn't miss the opportunity to witness, what I'm sure, is going to be an extravagant and fabulous event." He unfolded his arms once again, before clicking his fingers together on his right hand. "Oh…plus, it gives me a chance to spend some time with you and Cynthia, and my godchildren of course."

 _Oh joy, Cynthia's going to be thrilled,_ Steven thought sarcastically, as he thought of what his wife's response would be, to this rather unexpected piece of news.

He was well aware that she wasn't Wallace's biggest fan, as the man tended to annoy her more than anything, but for his and their children's sake, she persevered and tolerated his company. Add to the fact; that she was still holding a slight grudge towards the Hoenn Champion; Steven was well aware, that this wasn't going to bode well for him at all; _oh, joy of joys._

Steven cleared his throat before giving the man a little hesitant smile.

"Uh…that's great Wallace, truly...but why didn't you give us a call first? We could have sorted arrangements for you." _And I could have pre-warned Cynthia of your arrival._

Wallace gave a little snort.

"Well I would have, but I had already mentioned it to your father just last week, but alas, it must have slipped his mind to tell you. I suppose with Devon being busy at the moment, it was no surprise really," Wallace exclaimed, while twirling his left hand around rather flamboyantly. "Nevertheless, It doesn't really matter does it, I'm here now."

 _Yes indeed, you're here now,_ Steven dismally thought, as he took in his friend's rather excitable expression. It wasn't that he wasn't thrilled to see him, (as the man was more like a brother to him, rather than a friend,) but a little warning would have been nice; at least then, it would have given him time to prepare for his arrival, because as much as he was glad to see his friend, he did require a lot of patience to deal with.

However, with that thought in mind, Steven made a mental note, to get some sort of revenge on his father for omitting this piece of information to him. _Slipped his mind, yeah, sure._

"Oh, but speaking of my godchildren, where are they today? At home with their mother and new upcoming godchild of mine I presume?"

"Actually, Cynthia had a meeting with the league today, so both Amethyst and Jayden have gone to classes," Steven replied.

Wallace couldn't help but snort at his words.

"I bet they loved that," he replied sarcastically, with an underlining tone of amusement in his voice.

Steven couldn't help the amused smile; that tugged at his lips at Wallace's words; _how right he was._

"Oh, here's a thought," Wallace exclaimed jubilantly, instantly bringing him out of his thoughts. "While I'm here, I could come and watch Amethyst and Jayden one evening for you, so you and Cynthia can enjoy some time to yourselves, something of which, will become a rarity to you both, in a few months time."

Steven had to restrain the urge to grimace out loud at the water specialist's offer.

"Uh…that is a rather generous offer Wallace, but you do remember what happened last time we left them in your care."

Said time, was exactly the reason why Cynthia, was still holding a grudge towards the Hoenn Champion.

A few months ago, they had left both Amethyst and Jayden in his care, but Wallace had left them alone for around half an hour, and during that time, both children had somehow managed to start their own pokemon battle. Of course, thankfully, Cynthia had managed to intervene sometime during their battle, but ever since that day, she'd been most displeased with the water specialist; _and that was putting it mildly._

Wallace couldn't help but give a vocal sound of disbelief at Steven's remarks.

"Oh please, it wasn't as if they got hurt or anything," he replied, with a hint of incredulity in his tone. "And besides, their yours' and Cynthia's children; battling is in their blood, so I'm confident they would have been fine anyway. Cynthia just over reacted a little that's all."

Steven had to restrain the urge to gawk at the man in utter bewilderment; _he couldn't be serious, surely?_ But judging by the rather dismissive and unremorseful demeanour his friend was sporting, it seemed that he was deadly serious. It was a good thing that Cynthia wasn't around to hear his remarks; otherwise, he was quite sure, pandemonium might have broken out.

"Anyway, that's all behind us now, water under the bridge, so to say," Wallace continued, as he adjusted the hat he was wearing. "I'm sure Cynthia has forgiven me by now."

Steven had to restrain the urge to snort at his friend's remark; _that was rather wishful thinking on his part._ Usually, Cynthia wasn't the sort of person to hold grudges, but then again, she was a mother now, and she was extremely protective of her offspring. (A trait that he could relate too, as well.)

Fortunately, he was saved from replying, when Wallace glanced at the clock; that happened to be placed on the wall behind him.

"Oh my, is that the time? I best be making a move. I have to meet the rest of the judging panel by four thirty," Wallace exclaimed, before patting him on the shoulder. "I'll give you a call tonight, and we can sort out a time for me to watch my godchildren."

But before Steven could utter a single word in response, the Hoenn Champion had flamboyantly whirled around, before heading back in the direction he came from with a parting wave.

Once his rather disruptive friend, had finally disappeared around the corner, Steven couldn't help but continue to stare in that direction, caught up in utter sheer disbelief; _what in Arceus' name just happened?_ It seemed his earlier assumptions had been correct; _it was definitely going to be one of those days._

Not only was work causing him aggravation; he'd had to deal with two grumpy children this morning, an over-excitable friend, (who would no doubt bring a lot of disruption during his stay,) plus, to top it all off, a rather unimpressed wife, _well…she'll be way beyond unimpressed, especially, when I break this piece of news to her._

Steven couldn't help but give a heavy groan at the thought; _he really shouldn't have gotten up this morning._

* * *

 **16:45**

After finally escaping the clutches of work, (due to some extreme fast talking and signing,) Steven now found himself in Veilstone once again; this time, awaiting Jayden and Amethyst's release from class.

He couldn't help but breathe a little sigh of relief; _finally, some peace and quiet for five minutes._ Or so he thought anyway, until someone tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around to address the person who had obviously demanded his presence, his eyes widened slightly.

"Riley!" Steven exclaimed in surprise, as he took in the sight of the man stood there. "Well, if this isn't a rather welcome surprise to see you here. I trust you've been well?"

The aura gave a little nod.

"Steven," Riley replied, before a little smile broke out across his lips. "I've been well thank you. And yes, under normal circumstances I wouldn't be, but well; Roark asked if I could pick up his daughter from class today, as, of course, the league meeting has detained both him and Gardenia longer than they had anticipated, as I am sure you are already well aware of," Riley stated, seemingly rather bemused by the situation.

 _Oh yes, he was fully aware of that alright._ A little amused smile tugged at the corner of Steven's lips too, as he remembered his wife's, few rather choice words on the subject, when she had phoned earlier that morning.

"So, I volunteered my services, it is an emergency after all; and besides, she loves playing with Riolu and Lucario, so I knew it'd be no bother," Riley continued, before glancing towards him with a sceptically raised eyebrow. "Although, if you forgive my bluntness Steven, I'm surprised your two actually went to classes. I got the impression that they didn't really enjoy them."

Steven had to refrain from giving a little snort at the aura's words. Apparently, it seemed that Amethyst's and Jayden's distaste for attending these classes was rather well known. However, he was saved from answering, when the door to the classroom opened and children began filing out.

Seconds later, both Jayden and Amethyst began to walk towards them, _coincidently, moving a lot quicker than when he'd dropped them off that morning._ Steven couldn't help but give an inward chuckle at the thought.

Once they finally reached where he was standing, he gave them a smile in greeting.

"So, how'd it go?"

Both children glanced towards each other, before returning their attention back towards him.

"It was all right I suppose."

"It was fine."

 _Well, that was informative._ Steven couldn't help but share an amused smile with Riley, at his children's rather bland replies. _Regarding their earlier comments, dislike for these classes, may have been an understatement._

However, his amusement at the situation completely evaporated seconds later, when Jayden spoke up.

"Oh…by the way father, the teacher actually wants to have a word with you before we leave," Jayden stated, rather casually, almost as if he was just commenting on the weather.

"Yes indeed, she said if you could spare five minutes, could you go and speak to her," Amethyst continued, as she adjusted the bag she was carrying on her shoulder.

 _Well, that sounded ominous and if not a little worrying._ Steven couldn't help but raise his eyebrow sceptically at the both of them.

"Oh? And may I enquire as to why she wishes to speak to me?"

Amethyst and Jayden glanced between each other again.

"She didn't elaborate father, she just asked us to ask you," Jayden replied, with a shrug of his shoulders.

 _Definitely ominous and definitely concerning,_ he thought. He glanced towards Riley, who shot a sympathetic look in his direction; the message was pretty clear; good luck.

Steven couldn't help but give a heavy sigh as he ran a hand over his forehead in exasperation; _he really, really, shouldn't have gotten up this morning._

* * *

 **18:30**

 _So much for a five-minute chat,_ Steven thought sarcastically, as he finally sat down at their kitchen table.

Nearly an hour after going in to speak with their teacher, at her request, they'd finally managed to make it home. Only now, were they sitting down to have dinner.

Steven couldn't help but give a little internal sigh as he took in the sight of his offspring, who were devouring their dinner; completely unaffected and highly uninterested it seemed, in exactly why, they had been delayed from getting home. It was almost as if they had both completely forgotten about their teacher's request; _or, he supposed the more appropriate term would probably be, conveniently forgotten._

He couldn't help but give another internal sigh; _here we go._

"Would one of you like to explain, what happened at class today?"

At his rather stern words, Jayden and Amethyst ceased eating, as they briefly glanced at each other, before averting their attention towards him.

"What is there to explain father? We went to class and did as you said," Amethyst replied, as she shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Exactly what Amethyst said father, we did try to enjoy ourselves," Jayden agreed, as he nodded his head slightly.

Steven couldn't help but raise a sceptical eyebrow at their aloofness to the whole situation.

"Really?" he asked, with a hint of incredulity in his tone. Both children gave a nod. Steven couldn't help but give another inward little sigh; _they certainly weren't going to make this easy_. "Well then, could one of you please explain to me, why I had to sit for nearly a whole hour, listening to your teacher, complain about the fact that you both, were disrupting the rest of the class, by constantly correcting her."

Amethyst and Jayden once again glanced at each other.

"We weren't correcting her per say dad," Amethyst replied, as she returned her attention towards him again, before taking another bite of her dinner. "We were just pointing out certain things that were incorrect, that's all."

Jayden gave a little nod in agreement.

"Indeed father," he replied, before taking a sip of his drink. "We couldn't very well let her continue to provide us with incorrect information. So, we just made it abundantly clear; that what she was saying was incorrect."

 _Of course you were,_ Steven thought, as he ran a hand over his forehead in exasperation.

"Besides father, at least all the other children now know the correct answers," Amethyst chimed in, before her focus returned to devouring her dinner.

He couldn't help but give a heavy sigh at their responses. He couldn't deny, that in one sense, they both did have very valid points, because it was highly preposterous to teach something incorrectly. However, unfortunately for him, it just happened to be their teacher, that they had been correcting in the process.

"More importantly father..." Jayden stated, before taking another sip of his drink. "Correcting her mistakes, actually made our time in class more enjoyable today. In fact, we had fun, like you wanted us to."

Steven's hand sharply dropped from his forehead at Jayden's words, _they couldn't be serious surely?_ However, as he stared at both of his offspring; both of them had returned their attention towards devouring their food, seemingly, completely unperturbed by the conversation. _Apparently so,_ he thought, with a heavy sigh.

In one sense, he couldn't admonish them, because they had actually, followed his advice to have fun in class today, ( _but did they have to annoy their teacher in order to_ _achieve this?)_ and judging from their expressions, it seemed they knew it too; _they were way too smart for their own good sometimes._ Although, he couldn't help but think; that this was some sort of revenge for getting them up this morning, and making them go to class today.

Steven couldn't help but give a weary sigh; _he really, really, really, shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning._

* * *

 **20:00**

Steven wearily plonked himself onto the living room sofa with a heavy sigh. After finally getting the children fed and watered and washed, both Amethyst and Jayden were now tucked up in bed; both of them with their heads buried into a book.

He'd go back upstairs in an hour, to check if they had gone to sleep. Although, they both tended to be pretty good when it came to bedtime; it was just the mornings; that they seemed to have problems with. Steven couldn't help but give a little chuckle at the thought, which instantly turned to a grimace, when he heard the shrill ring of his pokegear.

He had a passing thought on just ignoring it, but he decided against it, as it could be an emergency, or more importantly, it could be his wife. With that in mind, he reached for the ringing machine, before lifting it towards him, to take a look at the caller ID. However, after taking one look at the screen, Steven couldn't help but grimace again at the name that flashed on there; _he'd completely forgotten about him calling this evening._

He mentally counted to five in his head, before finally pressing the accept button.

"Well it's about time Steven!" the rather exuberant, yet unimpressed voice, reverberated through his pokegear speaker. "You do know it's highly unacceptable to keep me waiting like that. It could have been a dire emergency."

Steven couldn't help but give a heavy internal sigh at Wallace's tirade; _here we go again._

* * *

 **20:45**

Steven gave a heavy sigh of relief, as he threw his pokegear back onto the table. He'd only just managed to hang up talking on the phone with Wallace; _although, to be fair, he'd done most of the listening rather than the talking._ Getting a word in was always a challenge with that man.

The Hoenn Champion had stuck to his word, _and unfortunately,_ in his opinion, once again expressed his desire to mind both Jayden and Amethyst one evening while he was visiting. Thankfully, he'd managed to avoid giving him a positive answer, _for now at least._ Although; tomorrow was going to be a completely different story. He couldn't help the little groan that escaped him at the thought, _that's going to be fun._

However, he was thankfully, dragged out of his dismal thoughts, by the sound of a set of keys in the door. When he looked up, he couldn't help the fond smile that broke out across his lips, when he saw his wife making her way into the house; flashing him a smile in response.

As she locked the door behind, Steven rose from his seat and began to make his way towards her. When he finally reached her, his arms snaked around her waist, as hers locked around his neck, before he leant down to give her a kiss in greeting.

After a few blissful moments, he finally pulled back from the kiss.

"Hey," he greeted her, tightening his arms around her waist, mindful of the bump that was between them.

"Hey," she replied, as she buried her head into his neck, before releasing a weary sigh.

"You okay?" he asked, slightly concerned by her response.

She gave a slight nod in reassurance.

"I feel a lot better now that I'm home."

At her rather weary tone, Steven leant back in her embrace slightly, in order to stare into her beautiful eyes.

"Are you sure? Because you don't sound it."

"Steven, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all," she replied, with a little drowsy smile.

However, he wasn't convinced.

"Cynthia, you are more than tired, you look exhausted…"

"Steven…"

"Having a league meeting run for that amount of time is highly ludicrous, in my opinion…"

"Steven…"

"And besides, they know you should be taking it easy, especially, since you are five…"

However, his words were cut of rather abruptly, as Cynthia kissed him, immediately halting him mid speech. Even though it surprised him slightly at first, he wasted no time in reciprocating her affection, as he returned her kiss.

To be fair, he should have seen it coming. She normally did this when she was trying to distract him from his train of thought, a tactic; that usually worked like a charm, this occasion being no different. Even though it was highly distracting, in all honesty, he had to admit, he didn't mind it at all.

Many moments later, they finally parted. When they did, Steven couldn't help but be mesmerized by the glint in her eye, and the little smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

"There's no need to worry Steven, I'm just tired. It's nothing that a good night's sleep won't cure." She slowly unwound her arms from around his neck, before intertwining one of her hands with his. "In fact, why don't we say goodnight to the children, then turn in ourselves, because I get the feeling, that we both could use the sleep." With that comment, she turned around, before tugging him behind her towards the stairs.

As they slowly began to ascend the stairs, Steven couldn't help but give a little content sigh, _Arceus, he really loved this woman._

* * *

 **21:30**

After saying goodnight, and making sure both children had gone to sleep, Steven now found himself lying in bed, with his wife wrapped around him once again. He couldn't help but give a content little sigh, as his arms tightened around her; _he'd so been looking forward to this all day._

"Steven?" Cynthia mumbled against his chest.

"Yes, dear?"

"I forgot to ask earlier…" she mumbled again, as she adjusted her head slightly on his chest. "How'd your day go?"

Steven's eyes widened in alarm, as his body tensed slightly at her question, _where did he begin?_

Perhaps he should mention the exhausting and trying afternoon he had in work; or possibly start with the 'little chat' he had had, with Jayden and Amethyst's teacher this afternoon; or maybe, he should explain the unexpected arrival of the Hoenn Champion in Sinnoh, who was adamant in minding their children one evening, even though, his last attempt was a complete disaster.

But then again, maybe all that could wait until tomorrow. Cynthia needed her rest; there was no point in bringing all that up now; she'd never get to sleep otherwise.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," he replied softly, before leaning down to place a kiss on top of her head, as his arms tightened around her. "Go to sleep love."

There was an incoherent mumble from his wife, as she tightened her arms around him, before she finally drifted off into sleep.

As she did, Steven spared a passing thought for how he was actually going to tell her, and exactly how she was going to react when he did. _Oh…that was going to be fun,_ he thought dismally, before mentally shaking those thoughts away. That was tomorrow's problem; he'd deal with it then.

For the moment, he was just content to lie there and listen to Cynthia's steady breathing, as he slowly felt himself drifting off into dreamland too. But before he did finally drift off to sleep, one thought seemed to cross his mind; _maybe he should stay in bed tomorrow morning._

* * *

 **And there we have it, a typical day in the Stone residency.**

 **I tried to make it as humorous as possible for you. I can actually envision Jayden and Amethyst doing that. And I do feel sorry for Steven in this, that's going to be a right headache for him.**

 **Please** **remember to keep those requests coming, and do not fear if I disappear for periods of time, because** **by no means, have I have abandoned writing these stories, it's just taking me a lot longer to get the chance to finish them, but fear not, I still have all your requests and I'm working through them.**

 **Until next time peeps!**


	24. The Proposal

**Well hello everyone!**

 **I'm finally back, with another story for you all!**

 **Yes, I do apologize for my lengthy absence. Mostly this had to do with work, and finding a new job in between trying to find time to write...anyway, I won't bore you with the details.**

 **So back to this story, I think you can easily guess what this story is about from the title. I know a few people have requested this, so I've finally got it written and raring to go.**

 **So the story does get told from three different points of view, mostly though from Steven's. However, I have bolded the name of the person, so you can keep track of whose point of view it actually is. The page breaks, are used to break up each part, as I am sure you will understand as you read through it.**

 **I'm rating this story a K+. Honestly, I could probably get away with it being friendly to all, but just to be safe, I may have put a swear word in here somewhere...possibly...so just to be safe.**

 **Italics are used as thoughts - pretty usual stuff if you have read my previous stories.**

 **This one, is a stand alone, but then again, knowing me, I might link one in the future.**

 **Anyway, enough blabbering; here it is. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Steven**

"Honestly Wallace, this isn't helping me in the slightest!"

"I beg to differ my friend," Wallace replied with a slight titter, at his obvious flustered appearance.

Steven couldn't help but narrow his eyes at his, so called friend's, rather dismissive attitude.

They were currently stood in the living room of Wallace's Sootopolis residence. He had wanted to speak to the current Champion of Hoenn, with regards to aiding him on making a decision, on a very important matter.

However, he was seriously regretting his decision of asking the water specialist for assistance now, as it seemed Wallace, was more invested in laughing at his discomfort, rather than helping him in any way.

Steven narrowed his eyes again, as his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

"I came here for some advice Wallace; not to provide you with a form of entertainment," he exclaimed irritably. However, his ire seemed to go completely unnoticed, as the water specialist continued to laugh. He couldn't help the growl of annoyance that escaped him. "I'm so glad that my request for help on a life-changing decision is amusing to you."

Even though the words were meant to be quite sarcastic and biting, unfortunately, this only seemed to encourage the annoying man even more. Steven couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance; _damn pain in the…_

"Oh…don't be so upset," Wallace managed to stutter out, as he wiped a few tears away that had trickled from his eyes due to his mirth. "I am actually being more than helpful, even though you clearly aren't seeing it, my clueless friend."

Steven couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow at the man.

"How do you figure that exactly? Because all you seem to have done since I got here is ridicule and laugh at my expense."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, as the Hoenn Champion broke out into another fit of laughter. _Obviously, my annoyance is amusing to him._ But then again, he'd known the man since childhood, he really should have guessed that Wallace would find this type of situation amusing.

Steven huffed once again, as he shot the man another unimpressed glare, (which still went completely ignored,) before he shook his head and turned his back on the irritating man, so he could now stare out of the window, whilst valiantly attempting to ignore the water specialist's continuous laughter.

He couldn't help but give a heavy sigh; _this was an important decision, one might say life changing; it wasn't something that would be classed as being amusing._ He couldn't help the little growl that escaped him again; _damn you Wallace._

 **Wallace**

As Steven turned away, Wallace couldn't help but notice his friend's rather annoyed reaction to his light-hearted amusement. He knew the man was rather displeased with him; _well…displeased might be an understatement._ In fact, he could practically see the steam coming out of the steel expert's ears. He was quite sure, that if looks could kill, he'd have been dead by now.

He knew he shouldn't laugh really, because as far as Steven was concerned, this was actually quite a huge decision, and one that was quite life changing. But despite all his efforts, he found he just couldn't help himself.

It wasn't so much the question; it was Steven's reaction that made it hilarious, because he'd never seen his friend this flustered or nervous, in the twenty-three years that he'd known him. He hadn't even been this bad, when he'd first asked out his now, girlfriend; _but then again,_ _this question was a lot_ _heavier in context._

With that thought in mind, he wiped away some of the moisture that had gathered within his eyes due to his mirth; as he regained his composure, (even though he was still amused by the whole scenario,) before focusing his attention on the man who was blatantly trying to ignore him.

Wallace cleared his throat, in order to attract the man's attention once again.

"Come on Steven, you have to admit, if you see it from my perspective, it is highly amusing," he stated, with a little chuckle in amusement.

However, Steven still seemed highly un-amused, if the way his back stiffened was anything to go by.

"I don't honestly see what is so amusing about this Wallace, from any perspective," the ex-Champion retorted, before running a hand through his tousled locks. "Considering the question, and how important it is, I don't see how it could be. It's such a big decision after all; and there are so many factors that need to be considered, and not to mention…"

Wallace couldn't help the snort that escaped him.

"I know that it's an important decision Steven, believe me…but that's not what makes this so amusing," he retorted with a slight titter. "What makes it so amusing to me, is the way it's causing you to be so riled up, when there is absolutely no reason to be. It's that ability to over-think things, that I find humorous here my friend."

At his words, the ex-Champion whirled back towards him, his eyes narrowing dangerously. _Yep…no doubt about it, he was definitely un-amused alright._

However, luckily for him, he was used to dealing with his friend like this, so he martyred on, completely ignoring the death glare.

"Don't try and deny it," he exclaimed, as he waggled a finger in Steven's direction. "It's your ability to over-think things that is causing you to be annoyed more than anything, not me."

Wallace could see the irritation flash across his friend's face again, as he shot him another dark glare. He couldn't help but give a little inward sigh; _despite the man being quite intelligent, sometimes, he could be rather slow and clueless._

"I mean, let's be realistic here Steven; it's not as much of an insurmountable problem as you're making it out to be," he continued, as he twirled his left hand around in a circle. "I mean honestly, all it boils down to are a few simple factors."

He could see the ex-Champion's head tilt slightly, as some of the annoyance seemed to dissipate, only to be replaced with a look of confusion. He sighed again, before giving a little shake of his head; it seemed he still hadn't cottoned on; _well…I'll just have to spell it out for him._

"Alright my clueless friend, here's what it boils down too," he began, as he clapped his hands together. "First question; do you love her?"

 **Steven**

"What sort of question is that Wallace?" Steven shot back in agitation. _What was he up to now?_

"Just answer it Steven; do you love Cynthia?" Wallace asked again, while his steady gaze locked onto his.

Steven couldn't help but sigh; _as if that wasn't fairly obvious._

"Well…yes, of course I do, you know that!"

But it seemed his rather exasperated tone went completely ignored, as the Hoenn Champion pressed on.

"Second question; are you happy that you are together, or, 'in a relationship,' so to say?"

"Well…yes…of course," he replied, as the agitation slowly began to seep out of him completely.

"Finally, can you envisage a future with the both of you together?" Wallace continued, all the while, keeping his eyes firmly locked onto his.

With that question, Steven couldn't help the little sigh that escaped him again, as his gaze softened and lowered towards the ground.

"Yes…every day."

"Then there's your answer my friend," Wallace replied, as he patted him on the shoulder. "What more do you need to think about?"

Steven groaned, before re-lifting his gaze, in order to meet the rather smug expression the water specialist was giving him; _he made it sound so easy._ _If only it was that simple._

"But…" he began, but the Hoenn Champion ceased him, by raising his right palm.

"No buts my friend," he stated, with a little chuckle. "From the questions you've just answered, it's quite obvious that this is something you really want. So why delay any longer?" Wallace raised his left eyebrow, before patting him on the shoulder again. "Don't let fears cloud your judgement my good friend, it's time to stop the thinking and just ask."

As he gazed at his friend, Steven could clearly see the encouragement and support he was radiating; _maybe he was over-thinking the entire thing?_ He and Cynthia had been together for fifteen months as it was, so surely, what he was going to ask was the next logical step? And he couldn't deny; that this was definitely something he wanted, more than anything else in the world; a future with Cynthia as his wife.

Though it was true that this was a rather daunting question to ask, plus extremely life changing, he couldn't help but mull over his friend's words. As much as the man could be annoying most of the time, he did have a way of seeing the obvious, even if he had a strange way of showing it.

With a little content sigh, Steven felt a wave of confidence and determination flood through him, as a smile began to spread over his lips; _Wallace is right, it was time to stop thinking; it was time to act._

 **Wallace**

A little smirk appeared over Wallace's lips, as he witnessed the sudden change in his friend's demeanour. Finally, it seemed that the ex-Champion had come to a conclusion, and judging from the determination that he could see shining from those steel blue eyes of his, it looked like he was going to go through with it.

 _It was about damn time!_ He thought with a little inward chuckle, before he walked up to the steel expert and snaked his arm around his shoulders.

"And besides Steven, it'll be easy, trust me. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

 **Steven**

 _Famous last words Wallace,_ Steven thought, as he released a little sigh of agitation.

He'd flown out to Sinnoh two days ago, but as of this moment, the ring he had had so lovingly made for her, still resided in his pocket. He couldn't help but berate himself; _it was Cynthia, the woman he loved; the woman who loved him for Arceus' sake._ He gave a little inward sigh; _why was it proving so difficult to ask?_

"Steven, are you alright? You've been awful quiet."

He was finally brought out of his troublesome thoughts by the sound of Cynthia's melodious voice.

"Hmmm…what?" He took one look at her concerned expression and cursed internally. He'd completely diverted his attention away from her.

They were currently sat on a bench just outside of Floaroma Town. They'd finished eating their ice cream about half an hour ago, (of which he had bought them,) and since then, they had been content to just sit there together, chatting and basking in the summer sunshine.

Of course they had been, until his turbulent thoughts had distracted him.

He chastised himself again, before giving a little clear of his throat and plastering a small smile on his lips.

"Oh…yes of course, I'm fine." He scratched the back of his neck slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry…I was slightly distracted because I was just remembering something Wallace said to me." _Which was actually, partially true._

She raised her eyebrow incredulously at him.

"Really? Are you sure? Because you've seemed quite…distant today."

Steven's eyes widened in alarm at her response. That was the last thing he wanted to seem; _damn it!_

"Sorry...I just…" He cursed himself again; _this wasn't helping._ "Its just…there has been something on my mind recently…a question..."

He could see her eyebrow rise even higher at his words. _Fabulous…now he'd concerned her even more._ He mentally groaned; he was beginning to sound like Wallace; _this certainly won't do._

With that in mind, Steven gave a little cough to clear away those worrisome thoughts, before boldly reaching over to grab both of her hands and intertwining their fingers together. _Here we go…_

"Uh…Cynthia…" he uttered, as he glanced towards their clasped hands; his voice, sounding unsteady even to his own ears. "There's something I've been meaning to ask…a question…"

Where was that smooth and charming demeanour that he was well known for gone? Where was that confidence that he had had a few days ago? It was just a question; it wasn't even a long question and yet, apparently, it was absurdly hard for him to articulate.

But then the sound of the Hoenn Champion's words reverberated through his mind.

" _Don't let fears cloud your judgement my good friend, it's time to stop the thinking and just ask."_

Wallace was right, it was time to stop the stalling and ask; and what better time than the present? They were currently all alone after all and in a place that was rather romantic. _Come on, I can do this; I'm ready._

With this mental push, Steven gave a little sigh, before raising his soft gaze back to hers; as a little smile settled over his lips.

"Cynthia…" he began, with more confidence. "There's something I want to ask you, and I feel now is the right time." He removed one of his hands from hers, in order to brush away the fringe from her left eye. He couldn't help but take in a deep breath as he saw both of her beautiful dark eyes, softly gazing back at him. "So, what I want to ask you is…"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

Steven's words ceased instantly, as his eyes widened, at the rather loud shout that emanated from behind him. It seemed Cynthia was just as surprised, if her widened and startled eyes were anything to go by. _Damn it, he'd been so close._

"What? I don't know why you are like this, again."

"Really Roark?"

"Yes...really!"

"Well, let me spell it out for you Roark…"

The shouting match continued, and it seemed to be getting louder in volume. Cynthia had already averted her attention towards, where he assumed the culprits of the argument, Roark and Gardenia; were.

His assumption was proved correct, when he finally turned on the bench, in order to observe the offenders. Indeed, it seemed that the Oreburgh and Eterna gym leaders' were having yet another, lover's tiff. Steven couldn't help but give a heavy sigh, as the pair passed behind them. They were both well known for having these disagreements on a regular basis; _but did they have to pick this precise moment? Why now did they have to have a lover's spat?_

"Gardenia, why must you do this all the time?"

"I don't do this all the time!"

The pair were so caught up in their little…disagreement; they hadn't even noticed his or Cynthia's presence at all, in fact, they were completely oblivious to their surroundings as they passed by.

Steven couldn't help but narrow his eyes at them as they did. Their little verbal exchange had ruined a rather pivotal moment, whilst also, completely destroying the mood entirely. There was no way he could propose now.

Steven couldn't help but give a groan; _damn it!_

* * *

 **Steven**

Mt. Coronet had always been a very intriguing and special sort of place to him, as it held so much mystery, alongside, offering plenty of opportunities for him to find and excavate rare stones.

He had been enthralled with the place ever since the first time he had visited it, which coincidently, happened to be with his now, girlfriend. She'd been the one that had suggested he visit the mountain, as she was confident that he would find it just as fascinating and rewarding as she did. And she hadn't been wrong.

 _Speaking_ _of said_ _girlfriend,_ Steven glanced to the right as he took in the sight of her walking alongside him, through the maze like tunnels of Mt. Coronet, her left hand firmly being encased by his right. They'd spent most of the day examining some of the tunnels in the cave, all the while trying to uncover some of the mysteries that the cave was hiding, while he'd also been doing some excavating along the way.

Many would think that this was a strange sort of thing for couples to do for a date, but this was their thing, a shared passion that they could bond over. In fact, it was one of the main things that had attracted him to her in the first place; and her to him, or so she had told him, when they had started dating.

He couldn't help but give a little sigh as he refocused his gaze forward once again. Even though they'd spent most of the day enthralled in mystery and excavating, (something of which usually peaked his undivided attention;) however today, he'd found himself to be more distracted than usual; _although, there was a very good explanation for that._

The reason for that being, the engagement ring that currently still resided in his pocket. After his last attempt failed, _well…was rudely interrupted;_ he'd been racking his brain on how to attempt this again, when he'd had an epiphany. There was a logical reason for why he'd suggested they visit Mt. Coronet today.

Okay, many would claim that their surroundings could be considered highly unromantic, (they were inside a mountain after all,) but then again, this was their thing; surely it would be quite appropriate and rather sentimental to propose here, as it was where their story had begun after all.

With that in mind, he ceased walking, tugging Cynthia's hand slightly in order to get her to stop too.

At the tug, Cynthia turned towards him, her brow furrowed in confusion at his sudden stop.

"Steven?"

At her look of confusion, he closed the distance between them, so that he now stood directly in front of her, gazing directly at her.

"Cynthia," he began, as he raised his hand to push her fringe aside. As both of her vibrant grey eyes softly gazed at him, he could feel that courage returning to him; _now or never Steven._ "There's something I want to ask you…something that I have wanted to ask you for quite a while, and I think now's the right time." He reached out to grab her other hand, before gently running both of his thumbs over the back of them. "What I want to ask, is this…Cynthia, will…"

"Halt! Intruders!"

At the loud call, both of their eyes widened, before Steven released her hands, as Cynthia whirled around, only for them to come face to face with two, rather badly dressed (well in his opinion) grunts, in a white top with a giant 'G' on the front.

"We are Team Galactic!" they replied in unison, sounding almost robotic. "All those that stand in our way will be defeated."

Steven couldn't help but give a loud groan, as he took in the sight of the two grunts stood in front of them; _you've got to be kidding me?_

He could see Cynthia reach for what he assumed was Garchomp's pokeball.

"I think not," she replied coolly, as her eyes narrowed into a steely glare. "I'm afraid you will be the ones that will be defeated."

She glanced in his direction, giving him a little nod, before her stern gaze once again refocused forward.

Steven couldn't help but give a little sigh, before reaching for Metagross' pokeball. It seemed like they had no other choice, they were going to have to battle their way out of this confrontation. He narrowed his eyes in the grunt's direction; _of all the times to appear, they choose now?_ Bad timing; was a severe understatement.

Although, he was beginning to think, it may not just be bad timing after all.

* * *

 **Steven**

Steven couldn't help but sigh as he took a sip of his lukewarm coffee, as he listened to the two women cheerfully chatting beside him. Both females had in fact, been deep in conversation for the past thirty minutes.

Originally, he and Cynthia had been making their way towards Lake Valour, where they were going to spend the afternoon basking in the sunshine by said Lake; which would also, give him the opportunity to try and propose…again.

However, his plans were scuppered, when passing through Sunyshore, they'd happened to bump into the woman, who Cynthia was currently engrossed with talking too; Diantha. Steven couldn't help but give another little inward sigh; _of all the people to bump into, why did it have to be the Kalos Champion?_

"I'm so glad we bumped into you, Diantha, It has been far too long," Cynthia replied cheerfully, before turning her head to acknowledge him. "Isn't that right Steven?"

Steven couldn't help but freeze slightly, as both women averted their attention towards him. They were obviously expecting some sort of positive response from him, even though; his thoughts reflected the complete opposite.

Luckily for him though, being the son of a well renowned businessman, he had mastered the art of improvisation in these situations; so thankfully, he was well versed on how to adapt his expressions rather quickly and efficiently, to reflect the appropriate answer that was required of him.

"Yes indeed, it has been a pleasure to see you again Diantha," he replied suavely, as a pleasant smile spread across his lips; even though at the present moment, he felt nothing of the sort.

To be fair, he had nothing against Diantha, she was a decent colleague after all, plus she was one of Cynthia's closest, if not closest, female friend, so usually, he wouldn't begrudge her for monopolizing their time. Although, presently, with an engagement ring still burning a hole in his pocket, he found that he could have done without her company. He couldn't help but give a little inward groan; okay…that sounded harsh, even inside his own head.

Thankfully, after his comments, both Cynthia and Diantha had returned their attention back to each other, happily continuing their conversation. Steven couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief; _dodged a bullet there._

But despite that close escape, he still couldn't seem to shake himself out of his sour mood; no matter how hard he tried. After his last two attempts to propose had ended up being sabotaged, by reasons beyond his control, he'd had high hopes that today would be the day he'd finally get to ask; _well it still could be, if we can escape from Diantha_. Although, putting this into practice wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded.

He was in a catch twenty-two, he couldn't very well ask her to leave so he could propose, because that would be just plain offensive…and he wasn't that type of person anyway; not to mention, he'd have one peeved girlfriend to deal with, meaning, he wouldn't be able to propose then either, making the whole reason why he wanted the Kalos Champion to leave in the first place pointless. _However, maybe he could get away with trying to subtly hint at it._ Desperate times called for desperate measures; so it was definitely worth a try.

Coming to that conclusion, he cleared his throat loudly, in order to grab both female's attentions.

"Even though it has been wonderful to see you again Diantha, please don't let us delay you any longer than necessary. I know you mentioned that you are filming here, so we wouldn't want to cause any disruption to your schedule." _There…that sounded plausible._

However, unfortunately, his polite hidden implication of 'please leave,' went completely ignored.

"Nonsense, it's no problem at all, in fact, I've actually finished for the day. I was just about to head back to my hotel, when I happened to bump into you both," Diantha replied cheerfully, before she clicked her fingers together. "And since you're here, why don't you both stop for dinner with me, my treat of course."

"What a splendid idea," Cynthia gleefully responded, before glancing towards him. "Wouldn't you agree Steven?"

"Yes indeed…splendid," he replied, with false enthusiasm and a fake smile. _Splendid wasn't exactly the word he would have picked._

"Fabulous!" Diantha exclaimed, as she handed them both menus from the holder on her side of the table. "And remember, this is my treat, so please order anything you like."

At this present moment, Steven felt like banging his head on the table, rather than selecting a food option. It seemed another attempt had been thwarted…again. _These disruptions had to be some form of cruel universal joke surely?_

"Oh, and I am actually filming here for the next two weeks," Diantha cheerfully exclaimed, as she clapped her hands together. "I mean, it'll be nice to spend as much time with you both while I am here, as there is still lots more we need to catch up on."

"Of course Diantha, it'll be wonderful to actually have you spend time with us before you return to Kalos."

Steven couldn't help but give a loud internal groan at the thought. That settled it in his opinion; _the universe was definitely conspiring against him._

* * *

 **Steven**

"Still no luck huh?"

Steven shook his head at the Hoenn Champion's question, as his gaze remained lowered to the table.

Three times he had tried to propose to Cynthia; and three times he'd been thwarted. _Maybe it's not meant to be,_ he thought sullenly.

 **Wallace**

Wallace couldn't help but glance at his friend's rather glum expression. He'd received a message from the ex-Champion earlier in the day, asking if he could fly over. He'd been hoping that he was bringing news of his engagement, but unfortunately, his hopes were dashed, when he'd opened the door to his friend's gloomy demeanour.

For the past hour, they'd been sat at his kitchen table, polishing off a bottle of wine between them, as he listened to his friend recount his failed attempts at proposing to his long-term girlfriend.

Wallace sighed, before raising his glass of wine to his lips again. He couldn't help but feel sympathy towards the steel expert. It had been pretty clear for some time; that the man was completely and hopelessly in love with the Sinnoh Champion, and it was pretty obvious that he wanted to marry her; and yet despite those things, it seemed the universe, just wasn't playing ball at the moment.

A heavy sigh came from across the table.

"Maybe it's a sign?" Steven uttered, before giving a little groan in frustration. "Maybe the universe is telling me that we shouldn't get married."

Upon hearing that, Wallace ended up spitting out the wine he had just taken a sip of; widening his eyes in alarm, before sharply rounding his gaze back to the man sat across from him; _he couldn't be serious surely?_

However, as he took in the rather defeated posture of his best friend; he became extremely worried; it seemed the ex-Champion was indeed, completely serious. _This simply won't do._ He was quite looking forward to a wedding; heck; he had even begun making arrangements for it already.

"Well, if that isn't the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"

 **Steven**

At his friend's cry of outrage, Steven finally managed to lift his gaze from the table, only to narrow his eyes in his direction.

"How is it ridiculous Wallace?" he exclaimed in agitation. "Every time I have gone to ask, something has interfered. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is!"

"Nonsense," Wallace replied, with a shake of his head. "You've just had a bit of bad luck my friend, that's all."

Steven was just about to respond, but was halted by the Hoenn Champion raising his right palm up to stop him.

"Just because you've been knocked back a few times, doesn't mean you should stop trying." The water specialist lowered his hand back to the table. "Steven, I want you to answer me honestly…" he continued, before leaning forward in his seat, as he levelled his steady gaze with his troubled one. "Do you want to marry Cynthia?"

 **Wallace**

Wallace knew the question was rather blunt, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and now was one of those times. He wasn't going to let his friend wriggle his way out of proposing, the man would be miserable for the rest of his life otherwise, and that was something, he couldn't bear to witness.

Steven sighed heavily.

"More than anything else in this world."

He couldn't help the little smirk that crossed his lips at his friend's honest reply.

"Then there's your answer Steven," he stated, before leaning back in his seat, and moving to pick up his glass once again. "Just because you've hit a few set backs, it shouldn't stop you from striving to reach what you desire."

 **Steven**

At his friend's words of encouragement, Steven felt that burst of determination slowly flood through him once again. _Wallace was right, just because he'd been knocked back a few times, that shouldn't stop him from pursuing what he wanted._

With that decision, he sent the Hoenn Champion a grateful smile; no matter what had happened beforehand, he was determined to see this through, no matter how many times it would actually take him. He deserved to be happy.

"Oh, and just remember one thing Steven," Wallace stated, before raising his glass again. "As the famous saying goes, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."

* * *

 **Steven**

" _And just remember one thing Steven; as the famous saying goes, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."_

Wallace's words kept reverberated through Steven's mind, as he sat on their sofa, awaiting Cynthia's return. As much as his friend could be annoying and quite trying to deal with on occasions, he had to admire him in some respects, as he did have a way of seeing the positive in things.

But back to the matter at hand, Cynthia was currently on a very important phone call; _well he assumed it was, as she had been gone for the past thirty minutes already._ He couldn't help but give a heavy sigh; their time had been disrupted yet again. It seemed his assumptions with regards to the universe conspiring against him, didn't actually seem that far off the mark.

Fortunately, he was finally brought out of his gloomy thoughts, when he registered the sound of heels re-approaching; it seemed she'd finally finished her call at last, he just hoped it didn't mean she'd have to leave, _that was all he needed._

Seconds later she appeared in the doorway to their living room. He glanced up towards her.

"Is there a problem?"

 **Cynthia**

Cynthia shook her head.

"Oh no, it was just Bertha checking on something with regards to an upcoming challenger, nothing of concern really," she replied, as she made her way over to sit next to him on the sofa once again.

He seemed to visibly relax slightly; as he shot her a weak smile, before casting his eyes downwards again.

"I'm glad."

At his tone, Cynthia couldn't help but turn towards him, slightly in concern. As she did, she couldn't help but take note of the way that he seemed to be nervously twisting the rings around on his fingers. She furrowed her brows slightly in confusion; _something was bothering him._

"Steven, is something the matter? You're looking pensive, if not, extremely nervous. Is something bothering you?"

 **Steven**

Steven immediately froze at her words, his eyes widening in alarm. He seriously had to stop doing this; she'd picked up on his nervousness yet again, and she was probably convinced that something was wrong; when in actual fact, it was the complete opposite.

He cleared his throat, before turning around to face her; he nearly winced at the rather concerned expression she was sending him; _oh yes, definitely worried. Damn._

"I uh…no…everything is fine love, more than fine. It's just…" He mentally cursed himself at his lack of articulation. He was never usually like this. Being the son of a businessman, he was used to reacting under pressure, but this...this was a whole new ball game.

He needed to get a grip, seriously. This was the woman he loved, and who loved him in return, it was ridiculous to be so nervous. Yes, he'd had a few setbacks when trying to do this before, but they were now currently all alone; _surely the universe couldn't interfere anymore?_

With a newfound confidence, Steven took a deep breath as he reached out towards her and interlocked their fingers together on her lap.

"Cynthia…I wanted to ask…a question…that I've been wanting…well…meaning to ask you…for quite some time now."

 **Cynthia**

Cynthia couldn't stop the little smile that curled in the corner of her lips, at Steven's unsuccessful attempts to articulate what he actually wanted to say. She had to admit, she found his stumbling and flustered expression rather endearing, even though he'd be embarrassed greatly, if he knew such things.

However, regardless of his stumbling, she'd be lying if she said she didn't know exactly what he was trying to ask. In fact, it had been fairly obvious to her for quite some time now.

She had to admit, when she'd finally figured it out, she couldn't deny that she had been quite surprised at first. However, that had quickly evolved into excitement. Knowing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, was an indescribable feeling; and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was quite looking forward to spending her future with him too.

She gave a content sigh, as she observed her boyfriend continue to stumble over his words. She knew that he'd been trying to ask for a while, and that all his previous attempts had all been thwarted in some shape or form.

However, despite these setbacks, there was no reason for him to be so flustered and nervous, (even though his stumbling was quite endearing to watch,) there was only one answer that she could give.

She gave another content sigh, before finally taking the plunge.

"The answer is yes, Steven."

However, it seemed her response went completely ignored, as Steven sill stumbled on.

 **Steven**

"And so, I was going to ask…well what I want to ask…" Steven trailed off rather abruptly, as his mind halted for a second. _Hang on a minute, what did she say?_

His eyes widened slightly, before his mouth dropped open in shock, as he took in the rather content and joyful expression she bore, as the words she uttered began to sink in. _Wait…did she just accept? It almost sounded like she did. But…how…wha…but…surely…maybe?_

"Say wha…would you mind repeating that?"

 **Cynthia**

Cynthia couldn't help but giggle slightly at his rather surprised expression; _he'd be mortified to know; that she found that expression he was sporting, quite adorable._

"I said; the answer is yes," she stated again, more confidently than the last time. "I know what you have been trying to do Steven, it hasn't been that hard to figure out." She gave his hands a squeeze in reassurance. "You can still ask if you want, but my answer will still be the same."

 **Steven**

Steven couldn't help but continue to gape at her rather bright expression; she was serious. It seemed that despite all the fluster, nervousness and disruptions, she had already figured it out.

In one sense, he didn't know why he felt so surprised, she was a rather intelligent woman after all; and it should have come as no surprise to him; that she would have guessed something was up, by his rather unusual behaviour around her recently.

But then again, it didn't matter anymore whether she had figured it out or not; _the answer is yes Steven._

As her words finally sunk in, a wide smile spread over his lips, as he slipped off the couch and onto one knee in front of her. He released her hands, as he reached into his pocket to the remove the ring box; that had been burning a hole in said pocket for the past few weeks.

Once retrieved, he flicked open the lid, before presenting it to her. He could hear her take in a sharp breath as she observed the shining diamond that was nestled inside. No longer restrained by his nervousness, Steven let the words he'd wanted to say to her, finally flow freely from his mouth.

"Cynthia," he began. "The past fifteen months with you have been amazing; and have been some of the best days of my life, if not the best." He paused, before he took in a deep breath. "When we first met, I admit, I was captivated. You were like a breath of fresh air, breezing into my life and turning my whole world upside down. You were a ray of sunshine, brightening up my life for the better. You became one of my closest friends."

He leaned up to brush her fringe away from her left eye; so he could stare into both of her breathtaking eyes.

"And then we became something more. I never quite knew how happy I could be, until that day. Being with you, has shown me what happiness really feels like and I never want to live without that feeling."

He could see the moisture begin to build up in her eyes, before a few droplets of water leaked from either side, as they trickled down her cheeks.

"What I'm trying to say…is that I love you, for now and for always." He gave a content little sigh, before finally taking the plunge. "Cynthia, will you marry me?"

 **Cynthia**

 _Was it dangerous to feel this joyful?_ She wasn't quite sure, but she was willing to risk it.

"Yes Steven," she happily replied, raising a hand to wipe away the few tears that had trickled down her cheeks, as she gave a little chuckle. "I love you too, and I would like nothing more than to spend our future together."

At her acceptance, Steven's face seemed to brighten considerably; a wide smile broke out across his lips, as he removed the ring from its case, and lifted her hand to place the ring elegantly onto her finger.

As he rose, to once again sit beside her, she couldn't help but reach out to engulf him into her arms. Despite all the setbacks he'd faced, he'd finally proposed; _they were getting married._

With that thought, she couldn't help but glance at the ring that now resided on her finger. She could feel that swell of happiness bubble up inside her again. It was perfect, just like his words to her moments ago. _In fact, everything was perfect._

With that in mind, she leaned back slightly, in order to place her lips over his for a well-deserved kiss. He responded instantly, and she swore, she could feel all the joy and love he felt for her pouring into her. She gave a little inward sigh; _she could happily stay like this for…_

However, their joyful moment was cut rather short, when they were rudely disrupted by the sound of her pokegear ringing once again.

She couldn't help but groan, as they pulled apart, before shooting a glare in the direction of the offending piece of machinery; that was vibrating on the coffee table in front of them.

 _Damn it, she was enjoying that. Curse you universe._

 **Steven**

 _It seemed the universe was definitely trying to disrupt and conspire against them for some reason,_ Steven thought, as he continued to glare at the offending piece of machinery.

It seemed he wasn't the only one that was slightly peeved at the disruption, if the glare Cynthia was shooting the pokegear, as she reached over to collect it from the table was anything to go by. His suspicions were confirmed when his fiancée gave a small eye roll, before answering the intrusive caller. Steven couldn't help the wide smile that stretched across his face at the thought; _my fiancée._

He'd finally asked. After all the nervousness and unplanned disruptions, he'd finally asked, and she'd accepted. He couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle; _well…to be fair; he'd had help after all, from the woman herself._ He should have known that she would have twigged that he was up to something.

He supposed Wallace had been right all along; in fact, thinking about it, he could just envisage the Hoenn Champion's response now. Of course the man would be ecstatic at first, but he was quite sure, after the congratulations; there was going to be a lot of teasing and plenty of, 'I told you so's.'

But that was a thought for later; as far as Steven was concerned, nothing else mattered at the present moment; _they were getting married._

With that joyful thought, he glanced towards his fiancée once again, who looked, highly unimpressed with the voice on the other end of the phone-line. Her tone just seemed to confirm it.

"Flint…why exactly are you calling me? Do you have any idea what you have just interrupted?"

Steven couldn't help but give an amused chuckle at his fiancée's flat and blunt response; _Arceus, he really loved her._

 **Cynthia**

Cynthia couldn't help but curse this new interruption with all her might. _Of all the times for her phone to ring…and it wasn't as if it was an emergency._

She couldn't help but curse inwardly; as the annoying fire trainer continued to rant in her ear-hole. The man was annoying at the best of times, but at this present moment, he had definitely dropped a few notches downwards in her opinion.

"As I just mentioned Flint, I am extremely busy at the moment."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the man's response. Unfortunately for her, it seemed that the man wasn't going to take the hint, as he continued to prattle on in her ear.

"I don't care what Lucian has done to your CD collection…I'm sure, knowing Lucian, he probably had a very good reason…uh huh…sure Flint."

Cynthia could hear an amused chuckle come from beside her. At the sound, she couldn't help but glance at her fiancé. A bright smile spread across her face as she took in his joyful expression; _my fiancé._

He'd finally asked. After over a year of dating, he'd finally wanted to make it official. Even though she'd already guessed that he was going to ask, it didn't stop the mass elation she felt, when he'd finally gotten onto one knee.

She couldn't help the content sigh that escaped her at the thought. It was now official; _they were getting married._

 **Steven**

Steven slid his arm around her shoulders, as he pulled her into his embrace. She gave another little content sigh, as her head slipped onto his shoulder.

From this new position, he could also here the Elite Four member's boisterous voice through the phone-line. The man was obviously complaining about some injustice again; _well…what he would class as an injustice anyway._

"Flint…Flint…if you will just…no I will not fly back there…I'm not your mother Flint…Flint…I am rather busy at the moment…no it can't wait…Flint…no, in fact I'm going to hang up now…goodbye Flint."

Steven couldn't help but chuckle again, as he heard the loud frantic call of Cynthia's name before she hung up. She leant forward slightly; chucking the offending piece of machinery back onto the table, before returning her head to his shoulder, as her arms snaked around his waist.

He couldn't help but tighten his arm around her.

"You know," she stated, as she snuggled into him a little more. "I just hope the universe doesn't actually decide to interrupt our wedding."

Steven couldn't help but chuckle at the thought; as he tightened his embrace around her even more, before placing a kiss into her lustrous hair.

"Well Cynthia, as someone once said to me," he stated, before leaning down to place another kiss to the top of her head. "If at first you don't succeed…try, try, try again."

* * *

 **Try, try, try again!**

 **Very wise words, and of course this phrase has helped me the past months on getting my life back on track. So, I had to include it in there somewhere.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! I wanted to make it humorous, but I do feel sorry for Steven, he doesn't;t have much luck sometimes, but, it all worked out in the end.**

 **By the way, keep those requests coming. Just a heads up for you loyal readers, I am currently wiring a story that with regards to Jayden & Amethyst and how they interact with other League ****members, and I'm currently in planning for a story with the children staying with Cynthia's grandmother; so stay tuned for them. The Stone family will be returning in those stories, and I will, be writing one, hopefully soon, with regards to their upcoming third child, so yeah, they are coming for you.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed, hopefully see you all again real soon!**


	25. Guess Who? Stone Children Style

**Hi everyone!**

 **I'm actually back with a story for you all.**

 **So, this story, we welcome back Amethyst and Jayden. I would recommend reading some of my previous stories with these two, in order to get an idea of who these two are. (Chapters; The Battle, Minding the Granchildren & A Typical Day in the Stone Residency.)**

 **There are a few guest appearances in this one, you'll soon see.**

 **The story switches from Amethyst to Jayden, but I have indicated that for you.**

 **Rating it K+ just for safety, but honestly, there isn't hardly anything in here that would be classed as higher.**

 **Thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Amethyst**

" _Now just remember, there are going to be a lot of well known and powerful trainers here today, so I just want you both to take this into consideration."_

Amethyst gave a small sigh, as she recalled her mother's words, before turning to glance at her brother, who was sat twiddling his thumbs in the seat next to her. _He looked just as bored as she felt._

They were both currently sat in the Sinnoh League Headquarters, at a table just off to the side of the grand hall. Usually, they weren't allowed to even enter the headquarters, but apparently, it was the thirty-fifth anniversary of something or other today, (their mother did mention it, but she hadn't been listening,) meaning their parents needed to be in attendance.

Usually, when their parents were needed at work or events like this, they would have ended up staying with their great grandmother in Celestic Town. However, due to commitments in Kalos, (her mother did mention it, but she hadn't been listening again,) their great grandmother had been unavailable. Add to the fact that their grandfather, was currently unavailable to travel from Hoenn, due to the Devon business being extremely busy; this had unfortunately meant; that they'd had to attend the event with their parents.

They couldn't even stay with Riley or their Uncle Wallace either, as Riley was currently working in the Battle Frontier, and wouldn't be back until sometime later this month. As for their Uncle Wallace, well…since he was the Champion of Hoenn, he was expected to attend this event too. In fact, he was somewhere in the hall at this very moment.

Although, even if he hadn't have been, Amethyst got the impression that they wouldn't have been allowed to stay with their pseudo Uncle anyway, because ever since the 'battle incident,' as their father had called it, their mother had more or less objected to letting them be minded single-handedly by their godfather. It had been over five months now since that incident, but their mother had yet to budge on her opinion, despite the Hoenn Champion's protests.

So, unfortunately, they had been out of options, and now, here they sat; in this vastly extravagant hall, watching some of the most powerful trainers in the world, mingle for an event of some epic proportion.

 _Speaking of…_ perhaps her brother recalled why they were there. With that in mind, she turned to face Jayden once again.

"Jayden?"

At the call of his name, her brother turned towards her and tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Can you recall brother, exactly what the reasoning is for this mass gathering today?"

Judging by Jayden's rather blank expression, he obviously hadn't been listening either when they were told. _Well…that was extremely helpful._

At her brother's rather vacant expression, Amethyst couldn't help but give another sigh, before her gaze returned to the room. From their vantage point, they could see the entirety of the grand hall.

Amongst the mass crowd, there were a few people she recognized within the sea of faces, however, not all of them were familiar to her. And of course, amongst the crowd somewhere, were their parents.

Apparently, since their mother was the Champion of the region, it was her obligation to 'mingle' amongst the guests, and since their mother was seven months into her pregnancy, their father had insisted on staying relatively close by, just in case their mother needed an intervention, much to their mother's chagrin.

Apparently, this 'mother hen-ning' as their mother called it, was a common disagreement; (which had become a sort of tradition between their parents;) that had started way back when their mother had first been pregnant with Jayden, or so their Uncle Wallace had told them.

But despite her complaints, their father still did it, and although their mother protested, Amethyst got the impression that she did appreciate his concern and unwavering attention. She had to admit, the love their parent's shared was actually quite something to behold; sometimes to the point of sickening, especially, with their frequent bestowing of affection on each other.

Amethyst shook her head to clear those thoughts away, as she refocused on the current issue at hand. Since their parents were currently occupied, they had had to find their own form of entertainment, in order to pass the time. Both she and Jayden had brought a few books to read, but with the mass amount of noise echoing around them, it had been extremely hard to concentrate; which was why they both now found themselves in this boredom predicament.

She couldn't help but release another sigh; _it was going to be a long day._

* * *

 **Jayden**

From where she was sat beside him, Jayden could here his sister give another bored sigh. He couldn't help but sympathize with her, because he felt exactly the same way.

Obviously, they had both brought things with them;that they thought would inevitably keep them entertained, however, with the vast amount of noise coming from the congregated trainers, they hadn't been able to concentrate. Of course, this meant now, they were well…bored.

The only reason they were here in the first place; was because their parents had had to attend this mandatory event, (well…their mother had to, but because of her current pregnancy, their father was insistent on staying close by, in case she needed his assistance,) and there hadn't been anyone to take care of them while they attended; much to both his and Amethyst's dismay.

With that thought, Jayden casted his eyes around the grand hall that was bustling with trainers…well, some of the regions' most powerful trainers to be exact. As he continued to cast his eyes around the crowd, there were a few familiar faces that he recognized, but there were also some that he didn't. But whatever they were celebrating, it was obviously something important.

Their parents had mentioned the reason, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall exactly what it was. He couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought _; well…he'd been too engrossed in reading up on the 'Mysteries of the Evolution Process,' when they'd told him, so that bit of information had slipped his attention_. But regardless, whatever the occasion was, it was definitely important.

Jayden couldn't help but release a little sigh himself; _there had to be something they could do while they sat here._

"Jayden?"

At the call of his name, he whipped his head around once again to face his sister.

"Yes Amethyst?"

"Are you as bored as I feel?"

Jayden couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped him at her question.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just a tad," she replied, before giving an exasperated sigh, as she ran a hand through her blonde tresses. "Honestly; I get why we have to be here, but honestly, this is so tedious." She waved her hand in the direction of the centre of the hall, where all the trainers had congregated. "I mean really…surely they have better things to do with their time."

Jayden couldn't help the little amused smile that stretched across his lips, as he observed his sister's rather agitated appearance. Amethyst had never been one to hold back her opinions, and was always keen to express her sentiments on specific matters, regardless of whether they were positive or negative, this situation it seemed, being no different.

He couldn't help but give a little snort at the thought; _she was so much like their mother._

* * *

 **Amethyst**

"Undoubtedly, it appears they do not dear sister," Jayden replied, as he gave another little chuckle. "But then again, this is an important event, or so it appears, so I'm sure they have very good reasons for being here."

Amethyst couldn't help the little groan that escaped her at her brother's response. _E_ _ver the diplomat was he._ Jayden always tended to see the positives in things, regardless if there were any or not. _He was so much like their father._

"Jayden…sometimes that positive attitude of yours can be quite annoying."

He gave a sharp bark of laughter at her words.

"Well…let's face it Amethyst, if we don't find a positive in this, then it's going to make it worse for us."

 _She supposed he had a point,_ but then again, it still didn't mean she was thrilled about it.

"And besides," he continued, before running a hand through his tousled blue locks. "At least we can say we have seen some of the most powerful trainers' in the world." He gestured towards the centre of the room. "I mean look at them all, it's almost like a game of guess who."

Amethyst couldn't help but sigh again, as her gaze locked onto the mass congregation. In one sense, Jayden was right; she should feel some kind of excitement at seeing some of the most renowned trainers in the world; because it wasn't everyday, that'd they get such a chance. In fact, she was quite sure, there would have been numerous amounts of people who would have gladly have traded places with her and her brother right about now, if only to catch a glimpse of all these powerful individuals together.

In that respect, she supposed she should muster up some sort of positivity. Like her brother had just said, at least they could say they've seen these powerful trainers, even if they were unsure on who some of them actually were, in fact… _hang on a minute…_

Amethyst couldn't help but freeze as she replayed the last comment her brother had made;

" _It's almost like a game of guess who."_

"That's it!" she exclaimed excitedly, as she clicked her fingers together on her left hand.

* * *

 **Jayden**

Jayden couldn't help but jump slightly, at the rather triumphant little yell his sister gave.

She whirled around to face him again.

"I know exactly how we can pass the time brother."

He couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow at her sudden enthusiasm.

"Oh?" he enquired. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"By playing a game of guess who; that's how," she exclaimed jubilantly.

Jayden couldn't help but stare at her, slightly dumbfounded at her suggestion; _surely he hadn't heard correctly?_

"You want to what now?"

At his rather bewildered response, his sister gave him a small eye roll.

"A game of guess who, brother," she replied once again. "You said it yourself just now. So, why don't we actually make a game of it?"

Sometimes, he had to admit, his sister could be rather outrageous with her suggestions and opinions, but then again, he had to give her some credit, she did tend to have some very bright ideas too.

"And in what way, do you suppose we make a game out of it?" he enquired, with a raise of his left eyebrow. He was beyond curious now, as to how she planned to conduct this, so called game.

A bright smile stretched across her lips.

"Well, let's make this simple," she began, as she held up one finger as an indication. "Firstly, whoever sees and guesses a trainer correctly gets a point, although, if we both guess correctly and name the trainer at the same time, then we each get a point." She tilted her head slightly, before continuing. "However, if the both of us don't guess the trainer correctly, then the point is null and void. Plus, to make it more interesting, we shall only take first answers too." She held out her hand towards him. "What do you say brother?"

She was obviously expecting him to shake her hand in return. They usually did this, when they were both set to agree upon something, this situation being no different.

Jayden had to admit, it was slightly unorthodox; _but then again, if it would help pass the time, then why not?_ Plus, it would give him a perfect opportunity to beat his sister at her own suggested game. With that thought, a smile stretched across his lips, as he reached out to enclose his hand into his outstretched sister's.

After a firm handshake; Amethyst turned around in her seat, reaching for her bag, (that she had dumped on the floor next to her chair earlier,) before picking it up and opening it.

Jayden could only furrow his brows slightly at her actions; _what was she doing?_ However, his curiosity was appeased, when he saw her pull out a piece of plain paper and a pen, which she then placed on the table in front of them, before depositing her bag back on the ground next to her seat.

"We can use this to keep track of our scores," she explained, as she turned once again in her seat to face him, her bright smile still firmly in place.

That smile was quite contagious, because Jayden felt his lips curling into one as well, as he felt a burst of determination flood through him; _this was going to be fun._

"Well, well…if it isn't the Stone prodigies."

As they both averted their attention towards the owner of the rather firm voice, Jayden couldn't help the little smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips; _it looked like game, has now officially started._

* * *

 **Amethyst**

"Hello Lance."

"Greetings Champion Lance."

The joint Kanto and Johto Champion nodded in their direction, as he came to a stop in front of their table.

"Amethyst, Jayden."

At his polite greeting, Amethyst could see her brother's attention focus on the woman who had been walking alongside the Champion, and was now stood to the right hand side of him.

"Ah…I know who you are, you must be…Clair right? The Blackthorn City gym leader, if I'm not mistaken?"

The gym leader gave a little huff, as she turned her nose up slightly at them.

"Well aren't you smart," she replied sarcastically. "It's not as if that isn't common knowledge at all."

"Clair…" Lance warned, but it seemed the woman didn't seem to take a blind bit of notice of his warning, as she continued on.

"I mean it's pretty obvious who I am. I wouldn't be at this event otherwise genius."

Amethyst couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly at the woman; _her attitude was simply appalling._ She had thought; that with the high position of authority that she was in, she was supposed to set an example, and be a role model for aspiring young trainers. Obviously, based upon her current attitude probelm, it seemed someone had forgotten to pass the message onto her. But then again, Amethyst had heard numerous people, including their own parents, mentioning about her, and her inexcusable attitude problem.

However, despite her abruptness and rude remarks, her brother it seemed, was still intent on making polite conversation, something of which he had learnt to do, from observing both of their parents. _Although, as far as she was concerned, the woman didn't deserve to be acknowledged._

"Ah yes, that's right…you train dragons right?"

Clair huffed again.

"Haven't we established that that's public knowledge, and I thought you kids were supposed to be smart? But as far as I can see, you both are just observant, that's all; there's nothing special about you two at all. Just two kids who are praised because of who their parents are."

Amethyst couldn't help but narrow her eyes dangerously again at the conceited woman; _how dare she speak to us like that._

"Okay Clair, I think that's taking it a bit too far now," Lance replied wearily. "These are Steven's and Cynthia's children, I think they deserve a little respect."

Clair gave a little snort as she folded her arms, before giving her and Jayden a rather snide look.

"Well that's exactly my point Lance, as far as I am concerned, they get too much respect, just because they are two Champions' children…oh excuse me, one Champion, and a Champion who threw away his title."

 _Okay, that was it! She had definitely taken it too far this time!_ It was one thing to insult them, but to insult their parents in front of them, or in this case, their father; that was another matter entirely. Amethyst could feel her ire slowly bubbling to the surface.

She couldn't help but glance at her brother seated beside her, it seemed he was of the exact same opinion, because as his gaze landed on hers, she could see the ire steadily rising inside him too. Tolerance had its limits, and she'd just hit their quota.

She could see Jayden tilt his head slightly, the message was abundantly clear; _it was time to take this woman down a peg or two._

"Hmm…I see Clair. It's such a shame that you feel that way, but then again, I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinions on things, including ourselves," Jayden replied, as he ran a hand through his tousled hair; his gaze steady, as he focussed on the pompous woman stood in front of them.

Amethyst couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at his remarks. He'd presented her with a glorious opening, now it was her turn, to teach her a lesson.

She gave a little clear of her throat, before steeling her nerves, as she once again faced the arrogant gym leader.

"Jayden is indeed correct," she began, as she pushed a loose hair that had fallen across her face back behind her ear, her gaze though, remaining steely. "Everyone is entitled to an opinion, ourselves included." With this, she raised her finger and pointed it at the rude gym leader. "So, on that basis, there are a few things that bother us about you Clair. I mean for one thing, you claim that you're a dragon master…and yet you don't even own a lot of dragons do you? I mean, you don't even possess a Garchomp right? Or a Salamance, or Haxorus, or even a Dragonite, do you?"

Out of the corner of her vision, she could see Jayden give a nod in agreement.

"Did you know our mother owns a Garchomp? But then you probably would, as our mother is a Champion after all, as you have so rightly pointed out, and has been for many years."

Amethyst clicked her fingers together.

"Mentioning Champions, come to think of it, aren't you the lowest rated Dragon trainer in all of the leagues?" Amethyst stated, as she tapped one of her fingers against her chin. "Because most other regions' have dragon trainers as Elite Four members, like Drake and Drasna, and of course your cousin Lance is a Champion. So how come you're still only a gym leader?"

"Indeed. If you are as good as you say you are, then surely, you would be in the top elite class of trainers?" Jayden continued.

At both hers and Jayden's rather direct questioning, Amethyst had to admit, the reaction they received, was actually quite amusing to watch, because immediately after their barrage of comments, the colour had drained drastically from the pompous woman's face, before turning an impressive shade of red, as her mouth began opening and closing, quite similar to that of a Magikarp floundering out of water. Amethyst couldn't help but give a little inward snort at the thought; _comparing her to a Magikarp, was actually an insult to a Magikarp in her opinion._

Seconds later, there was a little cough, which surprisingly, came from the man stood aside of Clair.

"Well you have to admit Clair, you cannot fault their logic," Lance replied, as he tried to contain his obvious mirth at their words.

At Lance's words, Amethyst couldn't help the triumphant smirk that spread across her lips, one of which she was quite sure, her brother would have been sporting too. She glanced quickly towards him; _yes indeed, he was just as pleased._

However, it seemed that Clair was highly un-amused with his remarks, as her eyes narrowed dangerously in her cousin's direction, before swinging her gaze back in hers and Jayden's direction once again.

"How dare…you two little…I…"

If her face got any more redder, Amethyst was quite sure her head, might explode. She could almost practically see the steam coming out of Clair's ears, as the gym leader balled her fists together. It almost seemed like she were on the verge of having a temper tantrum.

"I…I swear…you both little…"

It seemed though, that despite her ire at them, the words that she wanted to say just wouldn't form, much to her continued aggravation. Amethyst had to admit, it was quite amusing to watch.

However, moments later, the rather amusing show came to an abrupt end, as the gym leader finally conceded, as she gave a loud annoyed huff, before whirling around and storming off, all the while, muttering incoherently under her breath; which Amethyst was quite sure, was probably something derogatory about her and her brother.

Seconds after her hasty departure, Lance returned his gaze back towards them.

"I do apologize for my cousin's rather rude behaviour. Rest assured, I will be having some rather strong words with her later, as her attitude is not appropriate for her position," he stated sternly. "But I must say, well played the both of you." A little smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "There's no question about it, you are definitely Steven and Cynthia's children." And with those words, he turned, before striding away from them, his trademark cape flapping behind him as he did.

Once he was out of sight, Jayden turned towards her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think we may have offended them in some way?"

"Not sure," Amethyst replied, with a shrug of her shoulders. "But judging from the impression I got from mum and dad, and some of the other trainers we know, Clair's usually like that, so it's hard to tell." Although deep down, she didn't care if they had; _she deserved it._ "But I think Lance found it somewhat amusing, so possibly not."

"Speaking of Lance, we both get a point each for recognizing him," Jayden replied, as he picked up the pen and marked a point next to each of their names. "However, I was the one that successfully identified Clair first, so I get a point for that." With that, he marked another point next to his name.

Amethyst couldn't help but give an eye roll at his comments; _as far as she was concerned, he could have that point._

"So, that's two to one to me. Looks like I have the advantage sister," he continued, as he raised his head once again, to lock gazes with her.

She couldn't hep but give another small eye roll.

"Don't you think it's a bit too early to start gloating brother? I mean, we have only just begun, and I can assure you, that I'm not going to lose."

At her words, she could see a burst of determination flash through Jayden's eyes, as a wide smirk stretched across his lips.

"Bring it on sis."

Amethyst couldn't help but smirk in return; _you're going down brother._

* * *

 **Jayden**

After their initial encounter with Lance and his rather…annoying relative, things progressed pretty steadily after that.

Both he and Amethyst focussed on recounting the trainers they already knew throughout the crowd. Of course, this had more or less been all of the Sinnoh and Hoenn trainers, for obvious reasons. Although, there were still a few people that eluded them in the crowd; their parents being one, their godfather another, and Elite Four Bertha oddly enough. Jayden couldn't help but give a little chuckle at the thought; _it didn't really matter anyway, because it wouldn't really drastically change the scores anyway, if they did see them._

So, after nearly an hour, he was still marginally in the lead by a point.

"It seems that I'm still leading dear sister," he stated, as he gave Amethyst a wide smile.

He could see her roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, gloat while you can," she replied, as she pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. "That can all change though, I mean, there are still plenty of trainers to identify out there."

He had to admit; _she did have a point._

"Be that as it may, who says you are…"

But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Well, well…who do we have here?"

* * *

 **Amethyst**

At the sound of the voice, she and Jayden averted their attention in the direction it came from; only to come face to face with a dumpish man with his arms folded. Despite the rather sudden appearance, Amethyst actually knew who this person was; _well...the wild hair sort of gave it away._

"Greetings Alder."

"Ah, good afternoon Champion Alder."

Amethyst couldn't help but raise her eyebrow as she glanced in Jayden's direction. It seemed that her brother also knew who this man was; _however, if she thought about it; it wasn't so much a mystery as to who this man actually was._

"Afternoon kids," he boisterously responded. "Last time I saw you both, you weren't that much bigger than my waist. My, my, my…you've both grown." He paused, as he ran a hand across his chin in thought. "I must say though young Amethyst, your beauty parallels your mother's, which is a good thing really." Then he averted his attention towards Jayden. "Hmm…there's no denying that you got your looks from your father, that's for sure…ah well, that's a shame. He's not as good looking as me see."

Amethyst had to seriously restrain herself from bursting into laughter at the Champion's words; _he was joking right?_ His claim that he was better looking than their father amused her greatly, because it was a common known fact, to both her and Jayden, that their father was quite a popular man when it came to his looks, especially, amongst females, something that still, greatly embarrasses him. (She supposed; that was a side affect of being a charming, well-dressed, handsome heir and ex-Champion, or so their mother tells him anyway.)

Come to think of it, Jayden had the same problem. Despite only being seven; _well…nearly eight now,_ he was always remarked as being a handsome young boy, and that when he grows up, he'll be, and to quote, 'a heartthrob; just like his father.' Amethyst couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought, because Jayden's reactions to these sentiments were identical to those of their father. What was that famous saying their mother always used; like father, like son? _Too true mother, too true._

However, her amusement at the situation quickly ceased, as she heard the Unova Champion's next statement.

"You see, you father was always jealous of me, he hid it well, but I could always tell. In fact, he still is now."

Now, she couldn't help but gawk in bewilderment at the man stood in front of them; _he couldn't be serious?_ She glanced towards Jayden, only to see the same look of astonishment displayed across his features. _Apparently not…_

"Yes indeed, he is jealous of me that's for sure."

Amethyst couldn't help but give a little inward snort; _that's not the impression that she had gotten, from the things that she had overheard, from both their godfather and other acquaintances._ If their comments had been anything to go on, then jealousy wasn't the best word to describe it. To be perfectly honest, she could clearly say, that she had never seen their father jealous, and to be fair, she couldn't even imagine him being either, especially, over someone like Alder.

She was quite sure the more appropriate term, with regards to their father's feelings towards the Unova Champion, would have probably been more along the lines of irked…or maybe annoyed, and to be fair, Amethyst couldn't really blame her father for being annoyed with this man if he was, because as far as she was concerned, he had every right to be, especially, as Alder was still so intent on continually chasing after their mother, despite her being happily married, to the man he claims is jealous of him.

She couldn't help but be slightly confused by the man's wild accusations. It seemed, that he was definitely living in some sort of fantasy world, if he believed these things to be true. _But then again, maybe he was that oblivious._

"Yes indeed..."

Alder continuing; finally dragged Amethyst out of her thoughts.

"In fact, I'm sure somewhere deep inside, your mother still regrets not accepting my offers."

 _Not at all,_ Amethyst thought snidely, as she narrowed her eyes at the man, who was still so intent on throwing around false accusations. _Honestly, how much longer could this man delude himself into thinking these things?_

"If she hadn't have given into your father's constant persistence, more so out of sympathy I think, just think, you'd have been my kids," Alder stated wistfully, before turning around. "Shame really," he stated, before strolling off in the opposite direction he came from.

Amethyst couldn't help but cringe at the departing man's words; _now that was a horrible thought._

Once he had firmly disappeared back into the crowd, she couldn't help but shoot her brother a rather disturbed look, one that coincidentally, he shot back in her direction, as he turned to face her once again.

"Well…if that wasn't a rather disturbing encounter."

"Indeed brother…highly disturbing."

After marking a point under each of their names, they both came to a mutual decision…and that was to forget that that encounter, had ever happened at all.

* * *

 **Jayden**

It had now been two hours since they had started and the scores were still pretty even, although, he still had that one point advantage over his sister. However, now came the challenge, because after clearly identifying nearly all of the trainers they were acquainted with or knew, they were left with the ones they weren't so sure about.

"Nope, I do believe you're wrong brother. That is not Cress at all." Amethyst stated, as she shook her head. "Cress is the blue haired triplet, whilst Chili has red hair and Cilian has the green hair."

Jayden couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her.

"Oh? Is that so?" he asked. However, his sceptical question; was only met with a rather confident nod on his sister's part. "Well, answer me this sister, what makes you so confident about your claims?"

He could see her give him a small eye roll.

"Well to be fair, it is pretty obvious," she stated, as she pointed towards where the blue haired triplet was helping himself to refreshments, over the other side of the grand hall. "Cress is a water type expert, or so I heard, so it would seem like the logical choice, because water is blue in colour. As for the other two brothers, Chili specializes in fire types, so his hair would be red and Cilian specializes in grass types, so obviously, green would be his logical colour choice."

Jayden could see the beginnings of a rather smug smirk stretch across his sister's lips at her explanation. Even though he hated to admit it, her logic was impeccable, and there was no doubt in his mind, that she was most probably completely correct in her assumptions too.

However, despite her impressive deductions and logic, it still didn't mean he had to like it.

"Show off," he lowly mumbled under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed his sister had impeccable hearing.

"What was that brother?" Amethyst leaned in slightly closer to him, as her eyes narrowed. "Because it almost sounded like you were calling me a show off."

Jayden couldn't help but give a little huff, as he folded his arms and slumped back slightly into his chair. There was no point answering her; _she'd only complain otherwise._ But it seemed his silence, was all the confirmation she actually needed.

"Hmm…I thought as much," she replied, leaning back slightly, before giving him a rather smug smirk. "Oh, by the way, you still need to give me three points, for correctly guessing the Unova triplets."

Jayden could almost feel the rather strong sense of smug satisfaction that she was emanating as she sat there, smirking at him. _There was no way he was going to let her get away with being this superior._

"I disagree sister. I cannot officially give you those points yet; as we haven't got full confirmation that you are correct yet. At the moment, we are only going on assumptions," he replied, before leaning forward slightly, with a self-satisfied expression. "Until it's proven correct, then you don't get the points. That was the rules we agreed upon Amethyst."

At his words, Amethyst's eyes narrowed dangerously. Based upon the deathly glare she was shooting him, he was quite sure if looks could kill, he'd have definitely been dead by now. However, despite her ire, he wasn't going to budge.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm following the rules unlike you," he stated, as he leaned back in his chair.

"Jayden, I swear to…"

"You swear to what?" He could almost see the steam emanating from her ears at his unwavering composure.

"You know what? You are so annoying."

"I'm annoying? You're the one that is whining because you are losing."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you a…"

"Well…there are my godchildren!"

At the sound of the rather airy voice, their disagreement came to an immediate stop, as both of their eyes seemed to widen, as they whipped their heads around simultaneously in the direction of the voice.

Of course, the person they encountered standing there, came as no surprise to Jayden, and he was quite sure, not to his sister either.

"Uncle Wallace!"

* * *

 **Amethyst**

As Amethyst took in the sight of the Hoenn Champion stood in front of them, she hadn't failed to notice the rather amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Bickering again I see?" he said airily, before tilting his head slightly in amusement. "I'd be disappointed if you weren't."

Amethyst couldn't help the little smile that tugged at her lips at their godfather's comments. He always found hers and Jayden's disagreements, or rather, 'healthy debating' as he called it, amusing, much to their parent's, well…their mother's aggravation. She couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought; _that was quite possibly another reason why their mother was so against him watching them single-handedly._

She gave a little cough, to clear away her amusing thoughts.

"To be fair, would you expect anything less from us…and besides, we weren't bickering per say…it was just a slight disagreement, right Jayden?" With that question, Amethyst glanced towards her brother, who much to her dismay; was marking a point next to his name. "Hey! Wait a minute," she exclaimed in outrage, as she elbowed Jayden in the arm. "Why are you marking down a point for yourself and not for me? It's not as if we both don't know well enough who this is."

Jayden rubbed the spot that she had just elbowed, before giving her a sharp little glare.

"Doesn't matter, you didn't say his name," he replied smugly, as a giant smirk stretched across his lips. "We did say before we started, as a rule, whoever says the name of the trainer gets the point. So, as I was the only one that said Uncle Wallace's name, I'm the only one that gets the point."

Amethyst couldn't help but narrow her eyes at her annoying sibling. In one sense, he had her there. He was always a stickler for the rules, and he wasn't above reminding her of that constantly. Plus, he wasn't above using that excuse to try and one up her, all the time.

However, there was one way she could get one over on her pompous brother.

"Uncle Wallace," she began, as she whirled her gaze around to face their godfather. "Could you clarify something for us?" At his nod, she could feel a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. "With regards to the Unova triplets; could you tell us, which triplet is which please?"

Through the corner of her eye-line, she could see Jayden whip his head around and narrow his eyes in her direction. She could almost feel his glare burning a hole through her side. However, she completely ignored him.

"You see; my brother isn't convinced that I have identified them correctly, and until he gets some clarification, he won't give me my points."

Their godfather raised an eyebrow, as he tilted his head slightly.

"Okay, well…since you are so eager to know…to answer your question my dear goddaughter, Chili is the red haired triplet, Cilian has the green hair and obviously Cress has the blue colour."

At their godfather's words, Amethyst couldn't stop the feeling of smug satisfaction that encompassed her; _like she would want to anyway._ She could see Jayden roll his eyes, before he once again, muttered something under his breath. She couldn't help but elbow him again.

"Will you stop elbowing me?" Jayden exclaimed, irritably.

"I will, when you finally admit I was right and give me my points."

"You know Amethyst, sometimes you are…"

"I'm what?"

"You know what!"

"Jayden, I swear…"

However, they were brought out of their little…disagreement, by the sound of laughter.

"Now, now children…let's play nice," their godfather tittered, before shifting to stand more comfortably. "Now tell me, what's all this point system and correctly identifying trainers all about?"

At his question, she could feel Jayden give her a little nudge. She shot him a sharp little glare, before averting her attention back towards their pseudo uncle, and explaining exactly what they were doing.

"Ah…so you are probably the main reason why Clair is being more bitchy than usual, and why Alder looks disturbingly wistful," their godfather stated, as he twirled his right hand around in a circle. "Hmm…makes more sense now." He tilted his head slightly, before raising an eyebrow at them. "But I think the more important question here is…who's winning?"

Amethyst couldn't help but give a little huff.

"Well…since Jayden here, is so intent on claiming the point for identifying you Uncle Wallace, then he moves two points in front of me," she replied, before a smug smile tugged at her lips, as her gaze averted towards her brother again. "However, if we add the three points I get for identifying the triplets, then I think I am now one in front. Isn't that right, Jayden?"

He muttered something under his breath, but it was too low for her to catch, but Amethyst was quite sure it was something derogatory; _he was such a child sometimes._ At the still lack of any movement on his part, she couldn't help but elbow him again.

"Fine," he muttered, before begrudgingly picking up the pen and adding three points under her name, before once again glaring at her.

Amethyst couldn't help but smirk in triumph at his irritation. However, their staring competition was interrupted by the sound of airy laughter once again.

"You know, I don't know why I seem so surprised," their godfather stated, clearly amused by their antics. "I should have guessed you both would be quite ruthless when it came to competitions, I mean, look at who your parents are."

Amethyst couldn't help but smile slightly at his words; _that comment wasn't exactly far off the mark._ In fact, it was actually quite true of what he spoke of, because both she and Jayden were quite competitive, a trait, (many had commented on,) that resembled their parents tenaciousness when it came to things; a comparison; that she, (along with Jayden she suspected,) took as a rather high compliment.

However, she was brought out of her musings yet again, by the sound of Jayden's uneasy voice.

"You won't tell mum and dad that we are partaking in this game, will you?"

Their godfather gave them a wide smile, before giving a little shake of his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's all a bit of fun, and besides, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone." He gave a hearty chuckle. "Besides, you won't believe how many times I have placed bets with regards to your father, about his relationship with your mother in particular, and haven't been caught out."

Amethyst couldn't help but glance at her brother, who tilted his head questionably at their godfather's rather sudden comments. This was news to them, and some very important news at that, because, thanks to his little slip, their godfather had actually presented both her and Jayden, with a glorious opportunity to coerce him into keeping quiet about their little game; _plus, maybe they could glean a few other things from him too…_

She couldn't help the little smile that tugged at the corner of her lips, as she nodded her head slightly at her brother. It seemed he had cottoned on to the opportunity too, as she witnessed a little smirk tug at the corner of his lips too; _let's capitalize on this._

With that sound decision, they both averted their attention back towards their blissfully unaware godfather.

"Oh…is that so Uncle Wallace?" Jayden enquired. "Then pray tell, what sort of bets would those be exactly?" Amethyst could see him raise an eyebrow questionably. "Because we haven't heard dad, or mum either, come to think of it, ever mentioning anything of the sort."

"Jayden is indeed correct Uncle Wallace, because we would have clearly remembered such details if they had," she continued, as she folded her arms. "I mean, something like this surely wouldn't have slipped their attention."

"Indeed," Jayden agreed, as he nodded his head in affirmation. "I mean by rights, we should inform our father of this, as that would be the correct thing to do after all."

"I concur."

At their words, Amethyst could see their godfather shuffle slightly. However, that threat didn't have the impact they were looking for, as to be fair, it wasn't much of one, because it was common knowledge to both herself and Jayden; that it wasn't their father that Uncle Wallace was weary of the most; as their father tended to be more lackadaisical when it came to berating their godfather on matters. However, their mother, was an entirely different story altogether, and Amethyst knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was exactly the reason why their godfather looked so nervous, and it was this weariness; that both her and Jayden were going to exploit.

She cleared her throat slightly.

"Or maybe, we should just mention it to our mother instead? I'm sure she'll be most intrigued to hear these claims. I mean…could you just envisage her reaction now?" She stated, as she raised her eyebrow knowingly.

"I concur with Amethyst," her brother continued. "I'm sure our mother would be most interested to know, and to be honest, I really don't want to think about the consequences of that if she did, would you godfather? I mean, just remember her reaction after 'the battle incident?'"

Amethyst couldn't help but smirk at the little shudder Jayden gave for emphasis; but it was the brief look of alarm that had flashed through their godfather's eyes at the mention of said incident; that had more or less sealed it for them; _they finally had him where they wanted him._

"Although…we could be persuaded to keep this quiet, right Jayden?"

She glanced towards her brother, who gave a very confident nod, as he lifted his hand towards his mouth, before making a sort of zipping motion with his fingers. She couldn't help but release a little chuckle at the sight, before refocusing her calculating gaze on their godfather, who looked positively sheepish.

After a few minutes of silence, their godfather finally conceded; as he released a sharp bark of laughter, before he shook his head slightly in bewilderment.

"I really shouldn't have told you both that should I? I should have guessed you'd use this information against me." He shook his head again, before giving a heavy sigh. "So…exactly how much is this going to cost me, in order to keep the both of you from tattling to your mother and father?"

Amethyst exchanged a triumphant smirk with her brother; _who said they couldn't work together as a team?_

* * *

 **Jayden**

An hour after their godfather's departure, and the scores were now tied once again, all thanks to some brilliant observation skills he had made just now, on identifying Brock, the Pewter City gym leader from Kanto. _Speaking of…_

"So, that's a point for me," he stated with a smug grin. "Unless you have any objections dear sister?"

He could see her give an exasperated eye roll.

"Go ahead and gloat," she replied. "But it still doesn't mean you are winning, because we are now once again level on points, and in case you hadn't noticed, the crowd of trainers are now dwindling."

Jayden couldn't help but give a little sigh as he took in the room before them; _he had to admit, she did have a very valid point._ With that thought, he glanced back down towards the scores.

To think, that despite the fact that they hadn't even met or seen some of these trainers milling about in this room before, it was quite intriguing to see that their scores were pretty high. It was really uncanny, but then again, he and his sister where pretty much similar when it came to smarts; so really, it shouldn't have been such a surprise that they had scored quite highly, and that overall, they were in a stalemate. In fact, if he was completely honest with himself, it was quite amusing in one sense.

However, he was instantly brought out of his amusing thoughts, by the sound of his sister's hushed voice.

"Incoming."

At her words, he glanced up from the paper, only to encounter their parents strolling over towards them, hands intertwined per usual. Upon realization that they were heading in their direction, he grabbed the paper with their scores on, folded it, before depositing it into his jacket pocket, out of sight. It would do no good, if their parents found out about their little game.

Jayden couldn't help but give a little sigh; _well…it looked like their little game was going to end as a tie it seemed,_ _unless…_ He couldn't help but give a little inward smirk; _there was still one more opportunity._

Just as their parents finally reached their table, he cleared his throat. However, his wasn't the only voice that greeted them.

"Hey Mum and Dad."

At their united greeting, Jayden couldn't help but glance in Amethyst's direction, only to see her smirking back at him in return. Unfortunately for him, it seemed she wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice; _damn it, he was hoping she would…looks like it was going to end in a draw after all._

"Well, you both sound rather chipper," their father stated, as he raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Is there something you'd like to share?"

At their father's question, he couldn't help but share a glance with his sister, before answering.

"Not a lot, we were just…"

"We were just passing the time by admiring some of the esteemed trainers here today."

"Indeed, Amethyst is right," he concurred.

He could see both of their parents give them a rather dubious look at their comments. Luckily, before they could ask any more questions, Amethyst came to the rescue.

"Has the event finished?"

"It has indeed," their mother replied, as she tilted her head slightly.

"Oh…that means we can leave now right?"

Jayden could see their parent's share an amused glance at his obvious eagerness to leave.

"Of course," their mother replied again, before pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear with her free hand. "I just have to say a quick farewell to the Elite Four, then we can depart."

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Even though they had found a way to entertain themselves, (with the game they had played, which had helped pass the time immensely,) he couldn't deny, that he wasn't thrilled to be leaving.

"Have you both got everything?" Their father enquired, breaking him out of his musings.

He gave an enthusiastic nod, one of which he had caught, (out of the corner of his eye), his sister giving too.

At both his, and his sister's positive responses, their parents shared a brief smile, before turning around in the direction they had come from, before their father continued.

"Well then, if you are all ready, let's go."

At that magical phrase, both he and Amethyst couldn't get out of their chairs quick enough.

* * *

 **Amethyst**

Two hours later, Amethyst now found herself sitting at their kitchen table, finishing off her dinner, her brother sat beside her, and their parent's sat opposite.

It had been an extremely long day, and despite the entertaining little game both she and Jayden had played in order to keep themselves amused during the event, she couldn't deny, that she wasn't relieved to be finally home.

"So…" their father caught both her and Jayden's attention, with a clear of his throat. "Anything you'd like to share with us about how you past the time during the event?"

Amethyst could see her brother glance in her direction through the corner of her eye-line, but she ignored his glance, as her steady gaze remained focussed on their father.

"Nothing much father," she replied, before taking a sip of her drink. "Like we mentioned earlier, we were just crowd watching really."

"Really?"

At their father's question, she gave a little nod. However, she could see by his demeanour, that he wasn't appeased in the slightest with that response.

"If that's the case…could one of you please explain to us, why I had your Uncle Wallace ask me, which one of you had won?" Their father queried, as he raised an eyebrow at them, before continuing. "And apparently, why we had reports about Clair being more…moody than usual?"

"Was she?" Jayden replied, as he raised his glass, in order to take a sip of his drink. "We didn't notice."

Amethyst had to seriously restrain from snorting at her brother's rather blasé remark. Even though he was usually extremely honest, (and would've have caved by now, as technically, they did know, thanks to their godfather,) his fake naivety on the subject was actually quite impressive, if she did say so.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, it seemed his attempts had been in vain, as she observed their mother raise her eyebrow questionably at them, before speaking.

"Well that's strange, because when we questioned Lance about it, he informed us, that it would be most prudent to ask you two."

Amethyst could see her brother shuffle nervously, as both of their parent's gazes were locked onto his.

"Um…well," Jayden stuttered slightly.

Amethyst couldn't help but shake her head slightly at her brother's uncomfortable appearance; _he never did handle being flustered well._ So, with that knowledge, it was at this point, that she decided to intervene.

"What Jayden was going to say, rather unsuccessfully...is that she did pass by our table with Lance." She could see both of their parent's gaze's avert to her now. "We exchanged pleasantries with Lance, but Clair was very…" She tried to think of a suitable phrase; that would express her displeasure at the gym leader, without implicating that it was their fault that she'd been, 'more moody' than usual. "…Abrupt and quite, well…rude if I'm honest. And apparently, it seems she must not have liked some of the comments we made."

She could see their mother narrow her eyes slightly.

"And pray tell, what comments might those have been?" she asked, her tone flat and devoid of any emotions. Clearly, she wasn't amused in the slightest.

Out of the corner of her eye, Amethyst could see her brother send her a nervous glance, but she ignored it; _she was on a roll._

"Well…we just…politely enquired as to why…she only had a select few dragon type pokemon in her arsenal, even though she is a dragon master, or so she claims…"

She could see her mother's eyes narrow again, but she martyred on, completely unperturbed.

"And can I just say mother, her manners are appalling. How does she get away with actually being a gym leader with that attitude?"

At her comments, a little chuckle escaped their father.

"Well…you have to admit dear, they aren't that far off the mark when it comes to Clair."

Amethyst had to seriously restrain the urge to laugh at the glare their mother shot him at his comment. She couldn't help but glance towards Jayden; and if his response was anything to go by, he was also finding it difficult to control his mirth.

"Be that as it may Steven, it doesn't mean they're allowed to make unnecessary comments, especially, towards a trainer in a high ranking position, even if they deserve it, which I have no doubt, Clair probably did."

"Oh she did deserve it alright," Amethyst muttered quietly.

However, unluckily for her, her mother had really good hearing.

"Be that as it may Amethyst, that still doesn't excuse you," her mother berated her, as she gave her a highly unimpressed look. "Which moves onto our next question; was there any other trainers you spoke to, that we should also be made aware of?"

"Not really," she replied, her gaze steadily locked onto her mother's. "Well...you know we spoke to Uncle Wallace…"

She could feel her brother give her a little nudge.

"There was also the Unova Champion," Jayden interjected, a little hesitantly for her liking; _he is such a wimp sometimes._

"Ah yes, that's right…Alder did stop at our table for a few brief moments."

At the utterance of the man's name, Amethyst could see their father stiffen slightly.

"Did he now?" Their father enquired, quite cautiously in her opinion. "And pray tell, what did you say to the man in question?"

If Amethyst didn't know any better, she'd say her father was rather agitated with hearing this piece of news, especially, if the way he tightened his jaw was anything to go by. She shrugged her shoulders.

"We didn't really say anything, he did most of the talking, if not all."

She could see her brother give a little nod.

"Amethyst is right, he was more interested in being wistful and making comparisons between us and you more than anything."

She couldn't help but cringe slightly as she remembered the encounter.

"To be fair father, he was quite…if you forgive my impudence…uncomfortable to be around."

"Extremely uncomfortable," Jayden chimed in from beside her.

At their confessions, Amethyst could see their father relax slightly, but he still seemed slightly on edge. It seemed though, that their mother had also caught onto his uneasiness, because she instantly reached out to intertwine her fingers with his, before giving said fingers a slight squeeze, in what Amethyst thought was reassurance.

It seemed to do the trick, as their father finally seemed to fully relax, as he flashed their mother a grateful, if not loving smile, before once again refocusing his gaze on both her and her brother.

"Are you sure that was all?" he enquired.

Amethyst gave another nod in affirmation.

"Yep, that is all."

"Well...what's this about winning though? You both still haven't elaborated on that," their mother queried, as she raised a questionable eyebrow at both her and her brother again.

"Oh that…we…" Jayden began, but she quickly cut him off.

"Just played a little game between ourselves, that's all."

She could see both of their parent's give them a sceptical look. It was quite obvious that they weren't taken by their explanation at all, and Amethyst knew, that if she didn't intervene hastily, then they'd never be able to escape. Luckily for her, she was a rather quick thinker, and she managed to come up with a way to dissuade any more questions rather quickly.

"So…now that I have finished my dinner, does that mean I can be excused now? I really want to continue reading the book I took with me, but was unable to read due to the mass amount of noise in the event."

"Indeed, me too," Jayden exclaimed. "I mean, I have been extremely eager to finish my book too."

Amethyst could see their mother glance at their father again, who gave a little sigh, before nodding his head and giving her hand, (which was coincidently still intertwined in his,) a little squeeze.

At the gesture, she could see their mother give a little sigh too, before she refocussed her gaze on them.

"Fine," their mother stated. "However, I hope you both know, that you cannot avoid this question forever, especially, if anything else comes to light that we should have known about."

Amethyst gave a wide smile, as she rose from her chair hastily, something of which, she caught her brother reciprocating.

"Thank you mother, father," she replied sweetly, before nudging her brother towards the stairway.

"Yes indeed, thanks."

However, they were once again stopped in their tracks, by the sound of their mother's voice.

"Just remember though children, lights out is nine pm, and you both need a wash too," their mother exclaimed. "We'll be up to check later."

Both she and Jayden turned, each giving a little nod in confirmation, before hastily turning around once again, and striding back towards the stairs, and freedom from anymore questioning.

As they finally began ascended said stairs, they were once again ceased, but this time, by the sound of their father's voice. _So close…_

"Oh, before I forget…" he began, as he rose from his seat. "Could one of you also explain, why your Uncle Wallace asked me to inform you both, that the first payment will arrive next week?"

Amethyst turned to glance at Jayden, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She tilted her head slightly, as he gave a little nod; _it seemed they had come to a mutual decision._

With that, they both cleared their throats, before facing the questionable gazes of their parents once again.

"Oh…well you see, let's just say…" Jayden began.

"That Uncle Wallace…is a very generous godfather," she finished.

And with those comments, she and Jayden turned and continued up the stairs, smirks firmly planted across their lips; completely ignoring the very confused and slightly worried looks they were receiving.

 _Well..._ _what their parent's didn't know; couldn't hurt them._

* * *

 ** _And there we are everyone!_**

 _ **I know some of you wanted some interactions between the children and other trainers, or how they would handle themselves around other trainers, so here it is.** _

**_All I have to say is; seriously, these kids are way to smart!_**

 ** _I do seem to be really harsh on Alder and Clair in a lot of my stories, so apologies if you are a fan of these_** ** _characters._**

 ** _Plus, we are getting close to the new sibling I think, plus a story with Cynthia's grandmother. So keep tuned for them._**

 ** _Anyway, until next time people!_**


	26. The ERC

**Hey everyone!**

 **I'm back with a short little story for you all.**

 **I should let you know, updates are going to be slow, especially, as work is now getting extremely busy, plus my time off is limited, but fear not, I am still writing, it's just finding the time at the present.**

 **So I thought I'd post the little fiction piece to keep you all going for a while.**

 **Story is rated K+ as I don't think anything in here is worthy of a higher rating.**

 **Story is told from Diantha's point of view.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I call this meeting to order," Diantha exclaimed, as she rose from her seat and focussed her attention to the other ladies sat around the oblong shaped table in front of her.

As she did, the chattering quieted down, as the monthly meeting of the women's, 'Elite Romantic's Club,' was called to order.

None other than Diantha herself, had established the monthly meeting club around five months ago, when she had first identified the inevitable attraction between the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, and Hoenn Champion, Steven; something of which, in her opinion, needed immediate addressing.

However, with her Champion duties tying her to Kalos most of the time; plus with her hectic filming schedule blocking any attempt to visit either region on a regular basis; it was difficult to keep up-to-date with the current progress of the, 'not-yet' couple. In fact, as of late, the only opportunity she got to see them both together; had been strictly limited to Champion meetings, the last being nearly three month's ago.

However, despite these hindrances, luckily for her, with Hoenn and Sinnoh being partner regions, it was inevitable that the pair of Champions' would end up spending a fair amount of their time working together; but so did the gym leaders and Elite Four, who would constantly keep in touch with each other. So, suffices to say, any news or gossip would travel fast between both regions, which thankfully, worked in her favour.

So, after enquiring around, Daintha became even more intrigued with the situation. Of course, none of the male contingency had been of any help, (apart from an over zealous Wallace,) as they had all more or less been aloof to the entire situation, because as far as they were concerned, what both Champions' did in their spare time was their own business.

However, when she had asked the female contingency of each region, she was met with far more enthusiasm, as each female hadn't failed to her inform her of all the things that they had witnessed.

Judging from what she had observed for herself, coupled with the information she had received from the other females, it seemed that they all shared similar opinions on the matter. Diantha had to admit; she wasn't surprised in the slightest.

So, with that information firmly in mind, she had come to the conclusion, that it was vitally important that they establish some form of group, in order to keep tabs on the 'not yet' couple, and to think of suggestions on how to finally get the pair together. And when she had mentioned this idea to the other females, the suggestion was met with great enthusiasm, hence the birth of these monthly meetings.

And so, here they were, five months later in Kalos, attending their fifth meeting. To say they were all romantics at heart was an understatement.

Diantha glanced around the sea of faces sat around the table. To the right hand side of her sat the Sinnoh contingency. Maylene had had to unfortunately cancel her attendance this time, (something about an arcade and her father,) although, regardless of that fact, there sat the gym leaders Fantina, Gardenia, Candice and ever so surprisingly, Elite Four Bertha. (It seemed that the Elite Four member; was a closet romantic at heart.)

While on her left side sat the Hoenn crowd, who were gym leaders Flannery, Roxanne, Winona (again surprisingly, as she claimed that she was only there because of Wallace); and then Elite Four Glacia and a very excitable Phoebe. (Which wasn't an unusual occurrence for the ghost type trainer, as she tended to be excitable everyday.)

"Well then ladies, how goes progress?" Diantha questioned, as she lowered herself back into her seat.

There was a moment's pause, before unsurprisingly, the Hoenn fire trainer broke it.

"I'm sure Winona could give you the low down," Flannery answered, giving a slight chuckle, before sending a smug smirk in the Fortree gym leader's direction.

As all eyes turned towards her, the Fortree gym leader couldn't help but roll her eyes, before she gave an exasperated sigh.

"You know damn well, the only reason I attend these meetings is to keep Wallace appeased. I swear; he's worse than any of you put together." Winona grumbled. "He may be my husband, but seriously, he's like a Growlithe chasing a bone."

"Well can you blame him? I mean; he's known Steven the longest. In fact, they're more like brothers than friends really, so I can understand why Wallace is like he is about the subject," Glacia responded, before a little smile appeared at the corner of her lips. "He obviously just wants to see his friend happy."

There was a loud snort.

"Please… I don't think that's the only reason why he is so invested in this because let's face it, this is Wallace we are talking about here, he feeds off gossip; and he lives to tease Steven," Flannery stated, before giving another little smirk. "In fact, I wouldn't put it past Wallace, to already have their wedding all planned out. Am I right Winona?"

The Fortree gym leader gave a loud groan at the comment, before lowering her head to the table in annoyance, whilst both Phoebe and Roxanne gave a little chuckle.

"Be that as it may though, he, like the rest of us, would just like to see our Champion happy." Glacia responded.

There was another loud snort from the fiery red head.

"Yeah right, this is Wallace we are talking about right? 'cause you know…the man could potentially write a full trashy magazine about ways in which to embarrass Steven."

There was another loud groan from the woman whose face remained firmly planted into the table, before the Hoenn ice specialist spoke again.

"Still…I'm sure his friend's happiness is what is more important."

Flannery gave a chuckle and a shrug of her shoulders.

"If you say so."

"I do," Glacia responded, before shifting slightly in her seat. "In fact…"

"Ladies," Diantha exclaimed, in order to regain the attention of the Hoenn contingency. "We seem to be straying off topic."

She had to admit though; she did find it quite amusing, as she had no doubt of the fact, that if anyone were going to take advantage of the budding romance, it would be Wallace. Diantha had only met the flamboyant gym leader once before, but from what she had observed briefly, and had heard about the man from others; he was fully invested into the idea, as much as any of them were, if not more so.

She shook her head to clear away her musings.

"Although I have to admit, having Wallace as an informant is definitely an added bonus," she stated, whilst pushing a lose strand of hair behind her ear. "Clearly he knows Steven better than anyone here, so realistically, if we are to get any chance of extracting anything at all from Steven, then Wallace would probably be our best bet."

There was a small murmur amongst the other females.

"What do you think?" Diantha asked, directly looking at the Hoenn side.

"Well…I'm alright with that," Phoebe answered excitedly. "In fact, it could really work to our advantage, especially, with Winona being married to him."

"Indeed, it is quite advantageous for us. Has Wallace actually mentioned anything Winona?"

At her words, everyone's eyes averted towards the Fortree Gym Leader, who still, had her head buried into the wood of the table. There was another loud groan from the woman in question, before she finally raised her head to meet the questioning looks.

"As far as I know, since our last meeting, Wallace has spoken to him a few times, and from what he has told me, he is convinced that Steven has finally come to terms with his feelings for Cynthia," Winona stated, which gathered a round of cheers from both sides of the table.

"However…" Winona exclaimed, effectively silencing the cheers. "This is Wallace we are talking about, so he could be over dramatising things, as I wouldn't think that Steven would tell Wallace out rightly that he does, because he knows Wallace's personality all too well, and Steven would know that Wallace would use that bit of information to tease him mercifully."

As she finished, a light chuckle came from the woman sat beside her.

"Although, truth be told, I think Wallace does have a point…right Glacia?" Phoebe stated, as she gently elbowed the ice specialist sat next to her. "I mean…remember Steven's reactions last time Cynthia visited Ever Grande City? I think that was what, two weeks ago?"

Glacia gave a light chuckle at the over excitable young woman, before replying.

"Oh yes, that was quite memorable and rather amusing to be honest."

When it seemed that both Hoenn Elite Four members weren't going to elaborate, Candice leaned heavily over the table in anticipation.

"Well?"

If she could've climbed onto the table, Diantha was quite sure she would have.

"Yeah…for the love of Arceus, don't leave us all hanging here," enquired Gardenia, who was just as eager as her colleague to hear this piece of news.

Phoebe and Glacia exchanged looks, before the elder cleared her throat,

"Well," she began, before giving a little chuckle. "Let's just say, things got a little…close for comfort…shall we say."

"That's putting it mildly Glacia," the ghost expert responded cheerfully.

When it seemed they still weren't going to elaborate, Candice banged her hand on the table.

"Come on…don't leave us all in suspense!"

The Hoenn Elite Four members exchanged another glance between each other, before Glacia focussed her steady gaze forwards once more.

"Well, to be honest, neither of us could make out what actually happened, but somehow, they ended up rather close."

"How close are we talking here?" Gardenia enquired, shuffling to the edge of her seat, thoroughly enthralled at the story.

"Oh…I'd say about three inches away from lip lock," Phoebe exclaimed, as she emphasized the distance with her fingers.

"Indeed so," Glacia continued, as her eyes seemed to cloud over slightly. "It was as if it all happened in slow motion, especially, when he ended up pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear, as they stared at each other, rather dreamily I might say, which I found to be rather sweet…" Glacia trailed off, with a wistful look.

When it seemed she wasn't going to elaborate any further, the silence was broken once again by a rather on edge Candice, whose eyes were wide in anticipation.

"And?"

If her eyes got any wider, Diantha was quite sure they might, well…pop out.

"Then Sidney had to interfere and ruin the moment by going in to grab his guitar," Phoebe exclaimed, before giving a sigh in exasperation, which was closely followed by a collective sigh from within the group; Candice's being the loudest.

"Ah damn…" she uttered, before slinking back into her seat, instantly deflated by the news.

"I swear, him and that bloody guitar," Phoebe exclaimed. "I was this close to hitting him with it after disturbing that moment." As if to emphasize the point, she held up her finger and thumb in a small gap, indicating how close she actually was to carrying out her threat.

There was a collective laugh around the table.

"Well…" Diantha began, as her mirth began to subside. "Regardless of that little interruption, this sounds quite promising," Diantha said, before averting her attention the other side of the table. "So, anything to report on how things are progressing on the Sinnoh end?"

There was a collective glance between the Sinnoh contingency, before the Snowpoint gym leader gave a little sigh.

"Well…I think that we are making strong progress as well," Candice answered, whilst nodding towards Bertha and Gardenia. "In fact, these two could probably take most of the credit."

"Oui mes amis," Fantina agreed, in her exuberant French accent, "Itz been a rather successful month, thankz to Bertha and Gardenia."

"Oh?" Roxanne questioned, as she raised an eyebrow.

At her question, there was a minute silence, before it was disrupted quite loudly.

"Hey come on! You can't leave us hanging now!" Flannery exclaimed, as she leant forward in her seat, her head now resting on her elbow; that had somehow managed to be placed upright on the table. "Fair's fair."

Diantha couldn't help the little smile that blossomed over her lips at the sudden interest on the Hoenn trainer's faces. Even though she'd probably deny it vehemently, even Winona seemed intrigued. Diantha couldn't help but smirk slightly; _not interested…sure._

"Indeed. Things are slowly coming into fruition on our end," the eldest member of the Sinnoh crowd, Bertha, calmly stated. "In fact, we have a plan already in motion, don't we Gardenia?"

With that, all their attention focussed towards the Eterna gym leader, who gave a very enthusiastic nod.

"Indeed we do," the grass expert happily stated. "From what Bertha has managed to obtain from Cynthia, we have discovered that Steven is planning to arrive in Sinnoh next Tuesday, for apparently some league discussion, something to do with some league matters…uh…Bertha?"

"Indeed," the elder replied, with a hint of a little smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Apparently, there is a matter of importance he needs to discuss with her, something of which cannot be divulged over pokegear."

There was a loud snort from across the table, which unsurprisingly came from Flannery.

"Yeah, I bet."

"Indeed," Glacia agreed, as a little smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "It's funny how we haven't heard anything of the sort, isn't it Phoebe?"

The ghost expert gave a hearty chuckle.

"Well…regardless of 'his intentions'…" Gardenia stated, emphasising the words of 'his intention.' "I have spent quite a considerable amount of time investigating the best place for them to spend their so-called, 'league discussion' in, and you'll all be pleased to know, we have chosen a wonderful five star restaurant in Veilstone," she continued, rather proudly. "It's quite a quaint little place, private, and dare I say quite romantic, and I've managed to get them a reservation, for that particular day."

"Indeed she has," Bertha nodded slightly, as her smirk expanded to encompass her whole lips. "And I can be very persuasive, in order to get them to go."

At the elder's rather devious expression, a collective chuckle sounded around the room.

Although, upon hearing about this little scheme, Diantha had to admit, she was quite impressed at the lengths it seemed they were all going to, in order to try and achieve this goal of getting the two Champions together. It was actually quite amusing if not extremely romantic.

"Uh huh…" Fantina agreed, whilst nodding her head slightly. "Got to handz it to ziz girl," she began, pointing towards the Eterna gym leader. "She haz outdone herzelf."

At the words, there was a loud snort from the Snowpoint gym leader.

"She sure has," Candice exclaimed, before smirking in Gardenia's direction. "But I'm sure Roark should get some of the appreciation too. I mean, he has been accompanying you on all these… 'Investigatory trips right?'" Candice teasingly stated, whilst elbowing the grass specialist sat next to her. "It'd only seem fair."

Gardenia turned bright red.

"Mine and Roark's relationship and lack there of; has nothing to do with this!" Gardenia exclaimed embarrassedly.

"Oh really?" The ice specialist waggled her eyebrows at her. "Because it sure didn't seem like you were taking him along just for moral support."

There was a collective chuckle from around the table, at the prominent blush and flustered reaction of the Eterna gym leader.

"That was…it wasn't! I was just…I…I…"

"Well, well…who knew the prim and proper Gardenia had been conducting some investigating of her own, with a fellow gym leader it seems," the fiery red head from Hoenn stated, as she straightened the arm she'd been resting on, before leaning further over the table. "What was he doing…taking notes?"

Again there was a round of laughter at the fire trainer's suggestive words. Even Diantha herself, couldn't stop the amusement from escaping her.

There was a loud groan from the woman in question before she buried her bright red face into her hands, obviously extremely embarrassed by the incessant teasing at her expense.

After controlling her mirth at the situation, Diantha finally decided to take some pity on the obviously mortified gym leader.

"Well, all things considered, I can safely say, it seems things are progressing well…extremely well on both ends it seems," she stated, before giving the other females a bright smile. "I feel that it won't be much longer now; before we finally get the result we want, and I have faith, that by our next meeting, we may be looking at a celebration."

At her words, there was a collective sound of agreement from around the table. She couldn't help but give a sigh of content.

"And on that note ladies, I think we shall adjourn for another month, unless of course something major happens, then do not hesitate to get in touch."

With that, the other females rose from their seats and began making their way to the exit, chatting animatedly between themselves, as they each gave a parting wave goodbye to Diantha, who remained seated.

As silence descended upon the room; Diantha couldn't help but think on what they were doing. To many, it may seem a tad bit drastic, but to her, in the grand scheme of things, their intrigue and interest in this matter was highly justified and with the best of intentions, even if she hadn't seen Steven or Cynthia since the last Champion's meeting, which in point of fact, has now been just over three months ago.

However, from what she had witnessed there, the attraction was quite evident, in fact, she could have cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. And it seemed, that it was getting more and more evident, as these monthly meetings could attest to. And this was exactly why Diantha felt justified in her actions.

The pair of them needed a swift quick in the backside; otherwise, they'd never get around to admitting anything and would probably live out their lives in constant denial, when in actual fact, they both fancied each other like mad.

Diantha couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her at the thought. However, she did make a mental note to try and contact Wallace over the next few days. It seemed that the flamboyant gym leader, had his own vested interest in this affair as well, and if anything his wife had said was to be taken for truth, then he was already making strong headway.

She couldn't help the smirk that spread across her lips; _what was that famous saying? Desperate times called for drastic measures?_ Well in her opinion, this was one of those occasions; and besides, she was quite looking forward to a wedding in the future.

* * *

 **There we go! Too cheesy? Probably, but hey ho.**

 **I know I'm sorry, there was no actual Steven and Cynthia in this one, but the idea of a sort of match making plan, just wouldn't;t leave me, do I thought why not?**

 **I shall reveal to you all, that the new sibling story is in the works. Hopefully, it shall be my next upload! Fingers crossed, it won't take as long!**

 **Anyway, until next time people!**


	27. The Stone Siblings

**Hello everyone!**

 **Yes, I am back with a story, quite miraculously given my time schedule, but none the less.**

 **So, by popular demand, this is the new sibling story you have all been waiting for. Plus, by popular demand, this story features Cynthia's grandmother minding the children too. So, I've combined both requests into one story for you.**

 **On a side note, in the game and manga, Cynthia's grandmother doesn't get given a name. So, to make it easier for myself, I have used the name they gave her from the anime, which is Professor Carolina. I usually don't refer to the anime, but on this occasion, I thought it would suffice. Just a head's up with that.**

 **Okay, as stated, this is part of the 'Family Saga,' as I am now calling them. Before attempting to read this, I would highly recommend reading the other stories related to this timeline. So those would be; The Battle, Minding The Grandchildren, A Typical Day In The Stone Residency and Guess Who? Stone Children Style. Plus, I would recommend reading the chapter's Garchomp and Metagross, but they are not necessary really, as they are set further back in time.**

 **Okay, enough talk from me.**

 **Story is rated K+.**

 **Professor Carolina's thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

There were many phenomena's in the world, many of which she'd seen or encountered; extreme weather, uncovering and resurrecting fossils, meteorites, the destruction that the thirst of obtaining power could do, but nothing…nothing compared to the two individuals stood in front of her…her great grandchildren.

Professor Carolina couldn't help but sigh as she observed the two offenders in front of her. They both were bearing a sheepish sort of smile, one of which she'd seen numerous times on her granddaughters' faces, when they'd been their age. _How her granddaughter and grandson-in-law kept up with these two, one would never know, and to think, that was increasing to three very, very soon._

"Now, could one of you explain to me, what you were both doing?"

She could see Jayden give his sister a little nudge, as the young girl shot him a deathly glare in return, before averting her attention back towards her.

Amethyst cleared her throat.

"Well grandmother…"

* * *

 _Ten hours earlier…_

It was the shrill ring of her pokegear; that had aroused her rather abruptly from her slumber. With a groan, Professor Carolina rolled over, before reaching out to retrieve the offending item from her bedside table, not before glancing at the time flashing on her alarm clock.

She couldn't help but release another little groan at the time that flashed on there; _six o'clock in the morning…it'd better be a damn emergency,_ she grumbled, but after taking one look at the caller ID, her mood instantly changed; _an emergency, might not be too far off the mark._

At the sight of her grandson-in-law's name flashing on her screen, she hastily pressed the accept button.

"Steven?"

The voice that responded however, was not that of her grandson-in-law.

"No grandmother, it's Jayden," the boy hastily replied, before giving a little sniffle.

 _Was it just her imagination, or did it sound like he was on the verge of tears?_ She stiffened at the thought. Jayden was quite a sensitive little boy, and judging by what she could hear, something definitely seemed to be upsetting him. She couldn't help but shoot up into a sitting position.

"How can I help you Jayden?"

There was a short pause, before she heard another little sniffle.

"Dad told me to call you, he said…he said…"

She couldn't help the feeling of panic that shot through her as the boy trailed off. If their father was instructing him to ring her, then it had to be something with regards to her heavily pregnant granddaughter; _had something happened?_

Thankfully, she didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts for long, thanks to the shuffling noise through the phone, before the voice of Amethyst came through the phone line.

"Grandmother, mum's gone into labour," Amethyst exclaimed. "She looks in pain…and…and…dad's trying to help but…but..."

Now that was unusual; Amethyst was usually pretty straight talking, but then again, she was probably rather concerned and disturbed, by the sight of their mother in pain and by the sounds of it, Jayden was exactly the same. She could hardly blame them mind, seeing someone in pain, especially someone close to you, was bound to be upsetting, even more so for children.

Mind you, she had already discussed this possibility with both Cynthia and Steven beforehand, as to what would happen once the time came, and in that respect, the decision made was a simple one; the quicker she collected her great grandchildren the better, and she was quite sure, this had been her grandson-in-law's intention when he'd asked the children to call her.

"Okay, here's what I want you both to do," she began, as she threw the quilt off herself, before rising and making her way towards her closet. "I want you both to concentrate on getting your stuff together, and then I want you both to go and help your father with aiding your mother until I get there. Then, you both will come with me, so your father can take your mother to the hospital. Okay?"

"Okay…okay grandmother…" she could hear Amethyst stutter, before there was a distinct click, as the phone line went dead.

She grabbed the first items of clothing she laid her hand's on, as she hastily began changing. However, during this, she couldn't stop the soft smile that curled in the corner of her lips; _it seemed her new great grandchild was on the verge of arriving._

* * *

An hour later, both Amethyst and Jayden were sat on her sofa; both it seemed, lost in thought.

Since collecting them, they'd both been extremely quiet, which actually, raised a red flag to her, as this sort of behaviour was extremely rare. They weren't boisterous children by any means, but there always seemed to be some sort of noise that usually surrounded them, but so far, they'd both been completely silent.

She supposed; that was probably because they were both quite concerned about their mother's wellbeing. To be fair, even she had been slightly perturbed by the pain her granddaughter had been in when she'd gone to collect the children.

However, she needed to get them thinking positively. Their mother had already been through this twice already; (giving birth to the both of them,) and she was quite sure, that everything was going to be fine.

With that in mind, she cleared her throat slightly; _here we go._

"Cheer up children, your mother is going to be just fine. She's been through this twice before remember, giving birth to you two; and she has your father there with her, so everything will be fine, I promise. Just think positively," she stated, as a wide smile spread across her lips. "Plus, just think, you'll finally get to meet your new sibling soon, isn't that something to be happy about?"

At her words, both children glanced between each other, before Jayden gave a little shrug.

"I guess you're right grandmother," he replied, rather weakly. "It'll be nice to finally see my baby brother at long last."

At his words, a loud snort emanated from his sister.

"I think you mean, our new sister, dearest brother."

Jayden shot a sharp glare in his sister's direction.

"Nope, I was indeed correct with the word brother, dearest sister."

Amethyst couldn't help but narrow her eyes, dangerously.

"How many times have we been over this brother? It's going to be a sister."

"No, you are mistaken sister, it is a brother."

"No Jayden...I'm telling you it's a sister!"

"Brother…"

"Sister…"

"Brother…"

"Sister…"

Professor Carolina couldn't help but give a heavy sigh at the pair's bickering; that seemed to be increasing in volume; _well…there goes the peace and quiet._

However, despite that, she couldn't help the little smile that curled at the corner of her lips, as she observed their banter. Even though it was quite disruptive, at least it had helped with taking their mind off worrying about their mother, for the time being anyway.

Although, she couldn't help but inwardly cringe slightly as she continued to listen to their little spat, because in the end, one of them was actually going to be spot on with their assumption on the sex of the baby, and she was quite sure, that whichever sibling was proved correct, there was going to be a lot of, 'I told you so's' following.

As a responsible adult, she wasn't above admitting, that she wasn't looking forward to that part at all. _Oh joy._

* * *

Despite their bantering easing the tension that had been present due to their new sibling's imminent arrival, a half hour later, she had had to put an end to it.

Professor Carolina had to admit, even though it had brought the children out of their morose thoughts, there was only so much bickering a person could stand, and by that point, they had hit her quota.

Problem now was, that they had once again stooped into silence, their minds probably refocusing on their parents, and the condition of their mother in particular. She couldn't help but sigh, in one respect; she really did hope this new sibling of theirs arrived soon, because it would solve this problem greatly, and put an end to their brooding.

However, until that time, she needed to think of something that could distract them; _something that didn't involve a lot of bickering would be advantageous,_ she thought. It was a shame her other granddaughter wasn't available, she'd know what to do, but unfortunately, she was currently travelling in Johto; _which reminds me, I'll have to give her a call when her new niece or nephew arrives._

She was finally brought out of musings by Jayden's voice.

"Grandmother?" He asked, albeit a little weakly. "What's for breakfast?"

At the question, Professor Carolina couldn't stop her eyes from widening; _Arceus,_ she internally cursed. In all the haste this morning, she'd completely forgotten about the fact that none of them had had any food.

"My apologies Jayden and Amethyst," she replied, albeit slightly sheepishly. "In all of the haste, I forgot to even ask if you have had breakfast."

"It's okay grandmother, we didn't feel like eating anyway, at the time," Amethyst responded, as her brother gave a little nod in response.

She couldn't help but give a heavy sigh, despite that, that didn't excuse the fact that she had completely forgotten; _maybe my old age is catching up with me?_

"Well still…that doesn't excuse the fact that I should have asked," she replied, before clapping her hands together. "So…what would you like?"

She could see Jayden and Amethyst exchange a glance. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear they were just conversing, but unfortunately, she did know her great grandchildren better, and she just knew that they were planning something between them, even if they weren't actually saying anything. It was actually quite impressive, if not slightly worrying for her.

After a few seconds, their gazes returned towards her, as two little smiles (that weren't innocent in the slightest) settled across their lips.

"Well grandmother…"

She just knew she was somehow going to regret asking that.

* * *

Four hours later, Professor Carolina couldn't help but collapse on her sofa with a weary sigh as her eyes closed; _she just knew she'd regret asking._

Instead of them actually staying at her house, and allowing her to make them something for breakfast, (like she had been implying,) the pair of them had decided, that they had wanted to go to a restaurant in Hearthome City, one that their parent's occasionally took them too, as a treat.

Whilst she had been extremely reluctant to agree to such a request, unfortunately for her, the pair had somehow managed to manipulate her decision, by playing on her guilt, of completely forgetting about breakfast in the first place. _She had to hand it to the both of them; they sure knew how to get what they wanted._

Of course, they had gotten their way, and like the good great grandparent that she was, she had agreed to their suggestion, if still rather reluctantly.

She to admit though, despite her begrudging acceptance to take them in the first place, the food had actually been quite delicious and filling _; she couldn't deny, that both of them did have some good suggestions sometimes._ She decided it was best to keep those thoughts to herself though, because expressing them, would only lead to smugness on their part, and she didn't fancy giving them the satisfaction; _although knowing those two, they probably already knew._

Anyhow, after finishing breakfast, she expected, that they would return immediately to Celestic Town. Of course, that had been wishful thinking on her part, because both children insisted, that since they just 'happened' to be in Hearthome City, they couldn't just very well leave, without actually taking a trip around the city itself.

At their request, Professor Carolina had been a tad bit hesitant in agreeing, because Hearthome was a big city, and quite frankly, she didn't fancy traipsing around it, especially, with two over-energetic, curious children. Whilst she loved them dearly, she wasn't quite the right age for meandering around big cities anymore.

However, after making her sentiments known, albeit, in a modest way, both children had responded with disappointment. Of course, this is when the guilt trip card seemed to make an appearance once again, and before she knew it, she was already heading towards Amity Square, valiantly trying to keep pace with the two, as they charged on ahead of her, chatting aimlessly between themselves.

In the end, she didn't know why she was so surprised by the eventual outcome; because the pair always seemed to get their own way, why would she think this occasion would be any different? She couldn't help but give a little weary sigh; _they were way too smart for their own good sometimes._

"Grandmother?"

She was brought out of her musings by the sound of Jayden's voice. She opened her eyes, to observe the young boy stood in front of her.

"Yes Jayden?"

The boy shuffled on his feet slightly, before scratching the back of his neck.

"Can me and Amethyst go and play in the garden with Aron and Gible? Seeming as they've been cooped up in their pokeballs all day?"

Professor Carolina couldn't help but give an internal sigh. In the midst of the chaos that had ensued that morning, both of her great grandchildren's pokemon, had been returned to their pokeballs, in order to keep them safely stored away, so they wouldn't get caught up in the melee of events.

She couldn't help but give another little sigh, _those poor pokemon were probably dying to be let out, and knowing them, they were probably worried sick about their masters._ Pokemon were intelligent creatures, and they could sense people's emotions, so after this morning, she could only guess that poor Aron and Gible, were probably greatly concerned about Amethyst's and Jayden's welfare.

Not to mention, if they were playing with their pokemon, it would give her a little time to relax; _now that's a bonus._ It wasn't that she didn't love spending time with them, but honestly, she wasn't getting any younger, and after today's exploits, she was thoroughly exhausted. _A little nap wouldn't go amiss right about now._

"Grandmother?"

It was Amethyst's concerned voice that brought her out of musings. She couldn't help the little smile that stretched across her lips, as she gazed at the girl, who now stood beside her brother. She couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the expressions both children were sporting, as it was one, that she'd seen countless number of times from their own mother.

"Of course you can," she finally replied, before slowly raising her legs onto the sofa, in order to fully lay down. "But just remember not to wander off."

Both children gave a bright smile, before dashing away with a dual "thank you," before she registered the tell tale sound of the back door opening and closing.

As silence finally descended upon the room, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; _five minutes peace and quiet._ She loved them dearly, but they both could be quite a handful on occasions.

How her granddaughter and husband dealt with these two on a regular basis was a complete mystery to her, and what made it even more unbelievable, was that they were even adding to the equation. The only conclusion she could come to, was that they must enjoy it; otherwise, they surely would have succumbed to exhaustion years ago.

She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, but then again, she could hardly blame them, because she'd been like that when she was their age apparently, as had their mother; _and father, according to President Stone anyway. C_ ome to think of it, she could recall numerous stories that Steven's father had recounted about his son, and his mass curiosity in exploring, and his strong passion for excavating stones, ever since a young age; _a trait that had definitely been passed onto his children._ So in one sense, she could hardly blame them, it was in their DNA after all.

Professor Carolina couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her again, as she remembered Steven's father's recollection of his time minding them, from a few months ago. She remembered getting the Devon President's call, the day after said 'minding.' From what he had told her, the pair of them had been, and to quote, 'two bundles of energy, high on curiosity,' or in layman's terms; two energetic little handfuls, whose curiosity caused mass disruption.

In fact, she thoroughly agreed wholeheartedly with his assessments, because based on what she had witnessed today already, she could definitely sympathize with him _; especially, after hearing the part about their_ _little, 'excavating' attempt, in Devon's back garden…_

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, as she shot up into a seated position at the thought; _hang on…they wouldn't do that here, surely?_ But then again, this was her great grandchildren she was talking about here, so it wasn't above the realm of possibility.

With that alarming thought, she quickly rose to her feet, before ambling to the back door and yanking it open. She was hoping that they'd prove her wrong, and that it was just pointless worrying on her part, and that they were just playing a game of fetch or tag with their pokemon.

 _Oh…how wrong she proved to be._

* * *

 _Present time…_

"Well grandmother…you see…" Amethyst began. "You said we could play in the garden with Aron and Gible."

Whilst that part was actually very true, (because that is what she had agreed to,) however, it seemed her idea of 'play,' was completely different to Amethyst's and Jayden's understanding of the word, apparently.

"I did say that yes," she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion. "However, I assumed when you mentioned the word 'play,' I thought that you would be playing with your pokemon, not digging up half the garden."

"Well, we were playing…" Jayden chimed in, as he shoved his dirty hands into his trouser pockets. "We were playing excavation, grandmother." He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. "We've already played it at Devon, so we thought it'd be fine to play it here too."

Professor Carolina couldn't help but give a weary sigh, as she ran her hand across her forehead in exasperation at the boy's explanation; _of course they would think that._ Honestly, she really should have for-thought about this happening sooner, because let's face it, hadn't Steven's father already warned her about this? She couldn't help but release a weary sigh as she ran her hand across her forehead again; _she really should have paid more attention to his warnings, instead of being amused by them._

"Indeed…Jayden is correct," Amethyst continued, as she ran a dirty hand through her blonde locks, in order to push the loose strands that had fallen into her face, back behind her ears. "Ultimately, our main goal was to see if we could find anything different…" She trailed off, before giving a little sigh and a shrug of her shoulders too. "Plus, we just wanted to be like dad."

At that last sentence, Professor Carolina couldn't help but give a little internal sigh; _of course that's what they were doing._ She knew both children idolized their mother and father, so she could clearly understand their reasoning behind wanting to be like them.

At the thought, she couldn't help but gaze at the two offenders stood in front of her, (splattered with mud,) who were still sporting their sheepish expressions. She had to hand it to them both; _there was never a dull moment when they were around, that's for sure_.

Thankfully, (in her opinion,) before she could think of a suitable response, the issue was immediately brought to an abrupt close, due to the sharp bellowing of her pokegear.

She couldn't help but freeze slightly at the sound, before her brain kicked instantly back into gear, as she quickly removed it from her pocket. As she glanced at the caller ID, the number that flashed on there was one she didn't recognize, but with her granddaughter currently in the midst of giving birth, she hastily pressed the accept button. _It could be the hospital._

"Hello, Professor Carolina speaking. How can I help you?"

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, after probably the fastest washes both children had ever had; they finally reached the hospital, and as they did, Professor Carolina immediately walked up to the reception desk, with Amethyst and Jayden quickly following behind her.

"Hello…" she greeted calmly, although inside, she felt anything but. She wasn't the only one either, because as she glanced towards Amethyst and Jayden, she noticed that they both seemed to be twitching with anticipation; _but who could blame them?_ She thought; _it was an exciting time after all._

The receptionist gave them a warm smile in greeting.

"Good evening, how may I help you?"

She retuned her warm greeting, with a little smile of her own.

"Yes…I wonder if you could inform us as to which room my granddaughter and her husband are in?" she asked, as she wrapped one arm around each child's shoulder in comfort. "It should be under Stone, Cynthia Stone?" She squeezed each of their shoulders gently. "You see…we received a phone call informing us to come."

"Stone…" the receptionist repeated as she glanced at her computer, before a bright look flashed across her features. "Ah yes!" She raised her gaze back to them, as a wide smile spread across her lips. "The proud parents asked us to call you here. They are waiting for you all in room 129."

Professor Carolina couldn't help but let out a little sigh of relief at the positive response, as she once again squeezed the children's shoulders in relief. She could almost feel the tension seep out of them too at the good news.

"Excuse me Miss," Amethyst spoke up, her voice full, of what she could only guess, was excitement. "Where might that room be exactly?"

"Indeed, we are most anxious to see our parents and new sibling," Jayden also chimed in, bouncing on the tips of his toes in anticipation.

The receptionist gave a little chuckle, as her gaze softened.

"Of course, I bet you both are," she answered, before tilting slightly and raising her hand, in order to point towards a long corridor to their right. "You just head straight down this hall, and the door should be on your left, labelled Stone…"

And that was all they needed to hear, because as soon as the receptionist had finished her directions, both children had taken off like racing Rapidash's down the hallway.

"Jayden! Amethyst!" Professor Carolina exclaimed, but it seemed to be a waste of her breath, as both children had by now, reached the door where she assumed their parents and new sibling where, and had begun to enter, rather hastily.

Professor Carolina couldn't help but shake her head slightly, as she heard a little chuckle come from the receptionist. She couldn't help but let a little amused chuckle escape her too, because she had to admit, their youthful exuberance was a wondrous thing to observe. She couldn't help but give a hearty little sigh, how she wished she was still their age sometimes _…but then again,_ she mused, _sometimes she didn't._

With a polite thank you, and a word of congratulations from the receptionist, she finally made her way towards the room, albeit, a little slower than her great grandchildren had.

As she finally reached the now, opened door, she couldn't help but pause and take a deep breath, before a little smile touched her lips, as she finally stepped into the room; _it was time to meet the new little member of their family._

However, the little smile immediately disappeared, only to be replaced with one of puzzlement, when she took in the sight of Amethyst and Jayden, (who happened to be stood a few feet inside the door,) completely frozen in place, with eyes widened, in what she would assume was shock, or maybe bewilderment.

Professor Carolina couldn't help but be confused by her great grandchildren's rather, sudden stillness. It was only when she raised her gaze towards the other occupants of the room, did she happen to understand why exactly, both children seemed to be frozen in shock, because in that moment, as she took in the sight in front of her; she felt herself become exactly the same.

She was quite sure, the three of them standing frozen to the floor with widened eyes; must have been extremely amusing to witness, and in the future, they'd all probably look back on this and laugh; but as of this moment, it was anything but, (in her opinion anyway,) and she was quite sure both Amethyst and Jayden would agree, if they weren't in the same predicament.

Although, both her grandson-in-law and granddaughter, didn't seem to be bothered by the notion, because she was quite sure, they both shared an amused glance with each other, before both exclaiming quietly.

"Surprise!"

Professor Carolina, was quite sure the word 'surprise,' might have been the biggest understatement ever…but then again, she should have guessed something like this was bound to happen, as the universe did tend to like dropping bombshells on unsuspecting people at the most random times.

And as she began to fully digest and comprehend what she was actually seeing, she could definitely say, one hundred percent, that this was one of those occasions, because under no circumstances, would she have envisaged walking in and seeing this.

Meanwhile, across the room, with a bright smile illuminating her tired features, her granddaughter was sat upright on the hospital bed, with her arms securely holding onto a bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. _A boy,_ she concluded. Beside her, (to the right hand side,) sat her husband, who was sporting a wide smile of his own, as his arms were also, securely holding onto a bundle, but that one, was wrapped up in a pink blanket. _Obviously, a girl,_ she further concluded.

As she continued to gaze at the scene in front of her, Professor Carolina was not above admitting, that she was still finding this situation, rather difficult to comprehend, as her widened eyes continuously glanced between both proud parents, and the little bundles they were holding. She had now become a great grandmother again alright; but this time, to twins. _Surprise indeed._

Although, despite the rather huge shock, if she thought about it, there was a positive amidst all this, because at least there wouldn't be any arguments between Amethyst and Jayden now, because technically, they both had been right in their assumptions on what their sibling was going to be, as there was two of them now; one of each gender.

It seemed like a lifetime had passed, before her granddaughter finally broke the silence.

"Grandmother…Amethyst…Jayden…" Cynthia spoke softly, obviously mindful of the two sleeping infants. "Say hello to Amber and Ruben Stone."

It was the announcement of their names; that finally seemed to shake Professor Carolina out of her stunned stupor. It seemed to do the trick for Jayden and Amethyst too, because she could see them glance at each other, before hesitantly, making strides towards the side of the bed their father was sitting on, holding their baby sister.

"Wait…so this means we now have a brother and a sister?" Jayden asked, before coming to a stop and tilting his head slightly, in order to get a better look at the little girl being held securely in his father's arms.

"Indeed it does Jayden," Steven replied, as he shifted the baby slightly, allowing both children to get a better look.

"Huh…" Jayden stated, as he ran a hand across his jaw-line, something of which she had seen his father do, on many occasions. "Well…looks like we were both right then…sister," Jayden chuckled, before flashing a grin in Amethyst's direction.

"Indeed…it seems that way brother," Amethyst replied, returning his grin with one of her own, before both of their attention's returned to their mother, father and new siblings.

At their children's rather positive responses, Professor Carolina didn't miss the warm smiles that her granddaughter and her husband shared. It must be a relief for them to see both Amethyst and Jayden positively accepting their new siblings.

She knew both Cynthia and Steven, had made it abundantly clear beforehand to both Jayden and Amethyst, that despite their new sibling…or rather, siblings arrival, this would not change anything with regards to the time they got to spend together.

However, all the reassurances in the world meant nothing, until it was put into practice, but thankfully, judging by both children's rather excited expressions, as they stared in wonder at their new siblings being held within their parent's arms, it looked like Cynthia and Steven, had nothing to fear, which was an extreme blessing. In fact, as she continued to observe the small, or rather…large family now…interact, she had to admit, it was a heart-warming sight.

A clearing of a throat brought her out of her wistful musings.

"Professor…would you like to hold Amber?" Steven asked, as he rose from his seated position on the edge of the bed, baby still securely in his arms. "Because I think, it's high time I called my father to inform him of the good news."

 _Oh…he's going to love this piece of news,_ she thought sarcastically, before a little smirk curled in the corner of her lips at the thought. She could quite clearly imagine his reaction now, as she was quite sure, it would be remarkably similar to the one she had been sporting just now.

She could hear Steven give a light chuckle.

"Plus, I suppose I better call Wallace. He's probably going stir crazy right about now," Steven stated, as he shot an amused glance at his wife.

Professor Carolina couldn't stop the amusement that spread through her either, as she took in the rather cringe worthy expression her granddaughter made, at the mention of the man's name. It was no secret, that Cynthia was not the Hoenn Champion's greatest fan, despite the man being Amethyst's and Jayden's godfather; _and she assumed, Amber and Ruben's now too._

Her granddaughter finally gave a defeated sigh, before addressing her husband.

"You better had I suppose. That's all we need, is him flying in unannounced and causing a mass disturbance."

Steven couldn't help but give another little chuckle, before leaning over to give his wife a kiss, after which, he then began making his way towards where she was standing.

"Professor?" He asked, as he now came to a stop in front of her.

She couldn't help but give a small smile at the way he addressed her, before readying her arms.

"How many times have I told you Steven, you don't have to call me Professor anymore," she stated, before a little chuckle escaped her. "Grandmother…will be just fine."

A chuckle came from the bed.

"I've told him that, on numerous occasions," her granddaughter retorted.

Steven couldn't help but shake his head slightly, as another little chuckle escaped him.

"Of course…" Steven softly stated, as he shifted his new daughter into her awaiting arms. "Here we go Amber, say hello to your great grandmother."

The baby shifted slightly at the sudden movement, before instantly resettling, as she adjusted her into a more comfortable position in her arms. Remembering how to hold a baby; was almost like riding a bike, once you learnt; it just came back to you.

Now fully settled, Professor Carolina couldn't help the little smile that spread across her lips, as a wave of happiness washed over her like a Surf attack, as she gazed at her new little great granddaughter. It was amazing to think, that this was the sixth baby of her bloodline; that she had now held as a new born. It was quite staggering.

Suddenly, there was a little cough from the man still stood in front of her. At the sound, she couldn't help but tear her gaze away from the little wonder.

"Well, I better…" Steven stated, as he removed his pokegear from his pocket and waved it slightly, before heading for the door, not without exchanging a bright smile with his wife on the way out.

After his departure, Professor Carolina could see Jayden and Amethyst shuffle closer to their mother's side, in order to take a good look at their new baby brother; that was still sleeping peacefully in said mother's arms.

She couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight, as her eyes began to water slightly; it was just a shame that her daughter, son-in-law and husband weren't here to see it, although, she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they would have been thrilled.

Thankfully, before she could linger on her morose thoughts any longer, there were slight movements coming from the bundle she was currently holding in her arms. And, as she looked down, said bundle, now had her eyes slightly open and was bleary looking up at her.

She couldn't help but hold her breath slightly, as she lost herself in the newborn's blue eyes; _just like her father and siblings before her._ Judging from the little expression she bore, it was almost as if the little girl was assessing her in someway.

However, it wasn't the expression that caught her immediate attention, oh no, it was the little inquisitive glimmer she could see imbedded within those blue orbs, that did; one of which, she sees on a fairly regular basis. _Oh yes…she's going to be a chip off the old block, that's for sure, and no doubt, her brother was going to be exactly the same._

She couldn't help but think, that maybe now was the time for her to consider accepting Professor Kukui's request to go visit Alola, and help with their research; _an extended vacation sounded wonderful right about now…especially, for the next few months…_

It was the jubilant voice of her great grandson; that finally brought her out of her musings, as she tore her gaze off her new great grandchild, to gaze at where the three other children and their mother were still located.

"Just you wait Ruben and Amber, me and Amethyst have so much to teach you, right sister?"

She could see her older great granddaughter; give a very enthusiastic nod in agreement.

"Oh yes, we have so much to teach you, just you wait! We are going to be the best big sister and brother ever."

Professor Carolina couldn't help but give a heavy sigh at the older children's excited tones; _or maybe I could stay for a few years…just until the older two have set off on their journeys…I'm sure the professor wouldn't mind._

* * *

 **So there you are everyone!**

 **Please welcome the new Stone sibling...I mean siblings.**

 **Yeah, I really couldn't help myself. I couldn't decide whether to make it a boy or a girl, so I thought it'd be much more hilarious, if it was one of both. So there we go.**

 **And yes...I think a long, long vacation, would probably be wise lol.**

 **Anyway, until next time everyone! Hope it won't be too long, but keep those requests coming.**

 **See ya' next time.**


	28. Innocent Discovery

**Hello everyone!**

 **I am finally back with a story for you all. Sorry for the long hiatus, with Xmas, work has been extremely busy, so my free time was zero during then, but now with it slowly returning to normal, I can have the freedom to write again...and enough of the boring stuff.**

 **So this story is told from Diantha's point of view, so her thoughts will be in _italics._**

 **I think the story is pretty self explanatory from the title.**

 **This one-shot is not part of the family saga, it's a stand alone.**

 **Rating it K+ as I don't think there is anything written that could constitute a higher rating.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Diantha could admit, that under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have acted so surprised. I mean; it wasn't as if she hadn't suspected, or even anticipated this happening, really.

To be fair, it was purely by accident, that this rather innocent encounter had happened at all; helped along with, a major error on their part.

Perhaps she should rewind.

* * *

It was another Champion's meeting once again, this time being held in Unova.

For Diantha, these meetings became slightly more tolerable with the introduction of the Sinnoh Champion eleven months ago, as there was finally, another woman that could help break up the high level of testosterone; that had permeated these meetings beforehand.

Diantha couldn't help but shake her head slightly, before releasing a little inward chuckle at the thought; her musings made the male Champions' sound like cavemen, which was actually, the complete opposite to what they were; although, sometimes she questioned the theory with regards to Alder on occasions.

But she digressed, even though the male contingency of Champions' were actually really decent men; still…it just wasn't the same as having another female to collaborate with, because reasonably, there was only a minority of things you could talk to a man about.

Which was exactly where she was heading now. Cynthia had given her, her hotel room number last night, as they had both made plans to meet up before breakfast, in order to have a little catch up, before meeting up again with the men.

Five minutes later, as she finally arrived at her friend's hotel room door, she raised her hand to knock lightly, but as the seconds ticked by, there was no immediate response from inside.

 _Strange…_ she thought. Cynthia was pretty punctual when it came to appointments and meetings, but yet, it seemed on this occasion, this wasn't the case. _Perhaps she has gone downstairs already?_

Diantha couldn't help but shake her head slightly in disagreement at the thought; Cynthia wouldn't do that, not without informing her first, she was too well-mannered for that, and besides, breakfast didn't officially start for another forty-five minutes yet, so to go down that early, seemed highly ludicrous.

The more reasonable explanation; was that she was probably still asleep. It was the most plausible reasoning, as they had all been up fairly late last night, plus the travelling beforehand; even she had to admit; she had been exhausted, and she had less of a distance to travel than the Sinnoh Champion. Arceus knows how tired Cynthia must have been, so really, she couldn't begrudge her for oversleeping a little.

With that in mind, she debated on whether to turn around and leave, but her logical mind won, as she knocked on the door again, slightly louder this time.

Despite feeling slightly guilty for trying to awaken her, Diantha thought it was for the best, because she knew, that Cynthia would be extremely mortified if she knew she had missed breakfast, not to mention their arranged meet up. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought; _the Sinnoh Champion was old fashioned in her thinking that way._

After a few seconds, she could finally here the tell tale sounds of someone moving around. _Well, it looks like she is finally up…_

After another minute of waiting, Diantha could here the handle turn, as the door finally opened. She was just about to give a cheery, 'good morning sleepyhead,' but her words instantly vanished, as she immediately froze at the sight of the person that greeted her at the half opened door.

 _Hang on a minute…_ she was quite positive that this was Cynthia's room number _…_ and yet, standing before her, barefooted; dressed in trousers and an un-tucked and half undone shirt; and sporting, what could only be described, as a severe case of bed-head…was the Hoenn Champion, Steven Stone.

Taking in his rather dishevelled appearance, it almost looked like he had just rolled out of bed, and Diantha would lay her shirt on the fact that that; was literally what had just happened.

She deduced, that she must have looked like a right idiot, standing there gaping slightly with widened eyes, but she justified, she had every reason to be; as this was one of the last things she would have expected to encounter this morning, when she'd knocked on the Sinnoh Champion's door.

To be fair, Steven looked just as surprised to see her, but probably for an entirely different reason.

"Diantha?" he asked, obvious confusion clouding his features, at seeing her standing there. "What…I mean…is there something I can help you with?"

It was his question that finally seemed to snap her out of her stupefied state. _Well…now that he mentioned it…_

"Well actually…I was here to speak with Cynthia, since we made plans last night to meet up before breakfast."

Steven shuffled nervously, as he cleared his throat, before replying.

"Well…what makes…you think she is here?" he asked, closing the gap of the doorway he was standing in a bit more, further obscuring her view of inside the room.

If Diantha wasn't thoroughly convinced that there was something going on, she was one hundred percent certain now. The man was known for becoming slightly flustered under pressure when it came to personal matters, and his current stuttering and nervous fidgeting, sealed the decision for her.

 _The Hoenn and Sinnoh Champion's were definitely together._

She had suspected that something had been going on between them for quite a while, however, she had never had any proof, until now. She had had her suspicions, many people had, but she had never seen anything that would suggest that they had been anything more than just very good friends.

Okay, okay, there had been the occasional flirting, and it was obvious to see they were both attracted to each other, but still, they had been the optimum of discretion, up until now. How long this had been going on for, she could only guess, but judging by what she was witnessing, she could deduce, it had been a while.

She could easily guess why they would want to keep it a secret though, because if news got out of a relationship between the pair, the flurry of gossip and media harassment; would be downright shameless.

She could sympathize with them wholeheartedly on that front. Being an actress and Champion herself, she was used to the media following her, but she could only imagine it would be a hundred times worse for them, especially, with them both being Champions, not to mention Steven's title, of heir to the Devon Co-operation. They'd be prime targets on the media front.

She could understand their desire for privacy in the matter, but this current situation, had obviously been a mistake on their part, although, she had to admit, she didn't think they'd have been this careless.

Despite that, she couldn't deny, that the thought of the both of them together, actually thrilled her. It was crystal clear that the pair were made for each other, and she wasn't above admitting to herself, that she had been secretly rooting for them; she was a closet romantic after all. Still, it was time to get the confirmation she so desired.

"Well…I assume she would be here, as this is her hotel room after all," she stated, as she folded her arms, her gaze firmly locked onto the blue irises of the Hoenn Champion. "Which begs the question Steven," she continued, as she raised her eyebrow questionably, before a little smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Why exactly are you here this early in the morning? And if I dare say, looking like you have just rolled out of bed?"

As she trailed off, she instantly saw the colour drain from Steven's face, as there was a deathly, silent pause, before a bang, followed by a loud curse, could be heard coming from behind the Hoenn Champion, somewhere inside the room. She didn't even have to wait for any words; Steven's expression said it all; _busted._

Her small smile slowly morphed into a smirk, as the silence dragged on. She could almost here the gears turning inside of Steven's mind, but it really didn't matter if he did think of anything to say, as far as she was concerned, they had been caught in the act; quite literally.

After a few more seconds, the stalemate was finally broken.

"Let her in Steven," she could hear Cynthia's voice say from behind, the still half closed door. "She'll only attract more attention if we don't."

With a heavy sigh, Steven opened the door wider, before standing to the side and making a sweeping motion with the hand that wasn't on the door handle.

With a rather triumphant smirk, Diantha strolled in, her eyes immediately scanning the inside of her colleague's room, before they locked with those of the Sinnoh Champion, who was staring directly at her, her gaze steely, as she sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a hotel bathrobe.

 _Judging by the clothes that were littering the floor, that was probably the only thing she was wearing._ Diantha couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the thought; she had definitely caught them in the act; that was for sure.

Her musings were finally broken by the sound of the door closing behind her, before Steven re-appeared in her eye line, as he went and sat next to Cynthia on the bed. As soon as he had, Diantha cleared her throat, and asked the question that she had been dying to know the answer to.

"So…exactly how long has this been going on, hmm?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow, as she glanced between the pair of them.

Both Steven and Cynthia exchanged glances, before returning to face her, as Steven cleared his throat.

"Well…you see…it's…well…"

Diantha had to once again repress a chuckle, at the man's flustered appearance. Steven was generally smooth talking and quite the diplomat. (Probably due to his upbringing as heir to a thriving company.) Challenging business negotiations and pokemon battles didn't faze him in the slightest, but any references or insinuations towards his personal life…the man became a total wreck.

It seemed that Cynthia had decided to take some sort of sympathy on her… _boyfriend? partner?;_ as she slid her hand into his, before giving it a slight squeeze, in what she was quite sure, was reassurance.

At the touch, Steven seemed to visibly relax slightly, as he let out a little sigh.

"Well, we have been together for just over eight months now," he stated, as he squeezed Cynthia's hand in return. "We had been keeping in frequent contact long before that; but one evening, when I had been visiting Cynthia in Sinnoh, we…" he trailed off slightly, as a flush overcame his cheeks. "…Decided to give a long distance relationship a try."

At his words, Diantha could feel her eyes widen slightly in surprise. _Had they really been seeing each other that long?_ She couldn't believe she hadn't realized sooner; although to be fair, she did have her suspicions of course, but she was actually disappointed in herself for not catching on quicker. She had to hand it to the both of them though; they had done a stellar job at hiding it.

She was once again brought out of her musings by Steven's voice.

"At first, the decision to keep it quiet was a necessity, especially, giving our status'," he explained, before rubbing his free hand across the back of his neck. "But as the months have gone on, we just, didn't want to draw attention to ourselves."

Diantha could see Cynthia squeeze his hand again, before taking over.

"We just…wanted to keep a low profile, for the moment at least." Her face furrowed slightly in concern. "You won't tell anyone, will you Diantha? I mean, it's not as if it isn't serious, it is; and we know we will have to tell people eventually, but we just don't feel ready enough yet. We just…want to enjoy our relationship for the time being, without it being a…public spectacle, if you know what I mean?"

Diantha could clearly here the worry in her tone, and couldn't help but release a little inward sigh. She had thought this was the case, and to be honest, she really couldn't blame them for wanting to keep it private.

"Of course I understand, and trust me when I say, your secret is safe with me," she replied, as a soft smile settled across her lips. "Believe me, I totally sympathize with your reasons for why you are both keeping this quiet; Arceus' knows, how much publicity you'd receive if you didn't. I thought the amount I receive is bad, but news of you two as a couple? I dare to think."

She unfolded her arms, before waving her right hand in the air, in a circular motion.

"And besides, technically, it's really none of my business; I mean, it was only by pure accident that I found out myself; and it's certainly not my place to announce it to the world."

At her words, she could see both of them relax slightly, as they exchanged small smiles, before Steven gave Cynthia's hand another squeeze, obviously in reassurance.

Diantha couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight; she couldn't deny, that they were actually quite cute together, even if it would probably embarrass them both greatly if they knew that. _Hold on…now there was a thought…_

Just because she wasn't allowed to tell anyone, that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun with this knowledge. Besides, as far as she was concerned, no harm ever came from a little private teasing.

"However, now that I know, you do now realize…" she trailed off, as a smirk once again spread across lips. "That this gives me the right to tease you mercifully, don't you? I mean it would only be fair right?"

At her words, she could see both of their eyes widen, in what she suspected was fear, or possibly alarm, however, she couldn't be sure. It didn't matter anyway; it seemed only fair that she could tease them a little, especially, since she had to keep it a secret after all. But those were thoughts for later, after she had had more time to prepare. _Speaking of…_

With that thought, Diantha glanced to the clock situated on the bedside table.

"Well, would you look at the time!" she exclaimed. "I better make a move, in order to let you both prepare for the day, because I dare say, if all three of us are late to breakfast, then I'm quite sure your secret won't remain that way for much longer, because no doubt Lance would guess something was up straight away."

At her words, the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions exchanged another glance, before turning back towards her and nodding in affirmation.

"Excellent," she replied, with a smile of her own. "Well then, I should…" With that, she took a step backwards, towards the door. "I shall see you both at breakfast."

And with that, Diantha whirled around; and began striding towards the door, but before she opened it, a thought quickly entered her mind.

"Oh…before I go, a word of advice…" she paused, her hand grabbing firmly onto the handle of the door. She tilted her head back in their direction again, before a smirk stretched across her lips once again, as she took in the pair still sat on the bed. "If you do want to keep this a secret, you might want to double check next time, whose actual room you are in first before answering the door, or better yet, make sure you are at least, appropriately dressed."

Diantha could see the flush of embarrassment that appeared over both of their faces again, before giving a little parting wave and chuckle, as she opened the door and strode out into the corridor, a triumphant smirk plastered across her lips, as one thought repeatedly ran through her mind…

 _Oh…this was going to be a lot of fun._

* * *

 **Yeah...a whole lot of fun!**

 **A nice short one to get me back in the swing of writing. Got a few idea lined up, but any requests and reviews would be much appreciated. But fear not if I disappear for a length of time, I will not stop writing about these two.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, until next time**


	29. Meeting The Grandkids

**Hello dear readers!**

 **I've finally got another story for you!**

 **As I've mentioned before, with working full time, it has been extremely hard to make some time to write...but like I have also said before, I'm not giving up with these stories, I enjoy them far too much, so just bear with me.**

 **Anyway, enough of the boring stuff, onto this story. If you are following the family saga, then you'll be pleased to know, this is the next part in the saga.**

 **This story is told from Mr Stone's point of view, and as you can guess by the title, he's meeting the new members of the Stone family. His thoughts are the ones in _italics._**

 **Rating the story K, because honestly, I can't see anything in this story that could make it a higher rating.**

 **So, without further ado, here is the finished piece for you.**

* * *

They say that life had a funny way of throwing surprises at you. Well…Mr Stone could admit, that this comment was very accurate, especially, given the current circumstances.

At the thought, he couldn't help but release a sigh, before he glanced out of the plane window, as the outskirts of Sinnoh came into view below him. To be honest, he hadn't had a chance to visit the region for a while, what with Devon's workload and all, but on this occasion, there was a very important reason for him visiting.

As he continued to stare out of the window, his thoughts returned to a week ago, and the rather important phone call he'd received from his son.

* * *

 _A week ago…_

Mr Stone couldn't help but give a heavy sigh, as he once again tried to read the words that were presented before him. However, it was proving to be a lot more difficult than normal, because no matter how hard he tried, his mind continued to wander to a more pressing issue at hand…the imminent arrival of his new grandchild.

He was currently sat inside his office in the Devon Co-operation building, completing a stack of paperwork that had been presented to him earlier that day. _However, 'completing,' might not be the correct word;_ because ever since a certain phone call, he'd been unable to concentrate.

The call in question, had been from Steven, informing him that his wife had gone into labour. Ever since said call, which had now been more than six hours ago, he couldn't help but admit, that he'd been highly distracted. No matter how hard he tried, his mind continued to wander; _but then again, who could blame him?_

Despite the rather exciting prospect of the arrival of his new grandchild, his mind still wouldn't rest, because said grandchild hadn't been due to be born for another fortnight yet; so he wasn't above admitting, this early arrival, had planted a seed of worry, that persistently seemed to linger in his thoughts, and no matter how hard he tried, it just seemed to niggle away at him. _What if it was too early? Was the child okay?_

Mr Stone couldn't help but shake his head, as he internally berated himself for his troublesome thoughts. It was ridiculous of him to think this way, because children were known not to arrive on schedule, he should know that better than anyone, as both Jayden and Amethyst; had been born a few days earlier than planned; plus, his daughter-in-law had been through this twice already, (so had his son,) so it seemed illogical for him to be overly concerned.

However, no matter how hard he tried, the thoughts still persisted. _I should be there,_ he mused, before a little chuckle escaped him at the thought. Ironically, he'd already made plans to fly out to Sinnoh next week as it was, for an extended vacation, in anticipation of actually being there for the birth of his third grandchild. However, it seemed that fate screamed a loud 'bite me,' at his plans; because it seemed that this new little Stone, was just as impatient to arrive into this world, as its other two siblings had been. He couldn't help but release another chuckle at the thought; _he really should have known better._

It wasn't as if he could just pack up and immediately fly over to Sinnoh either, as his responsibilities as Devon's CO, sort of put a stopper in those ideas. Despite the great news, he still had responsibilities; that was why he'd booked the vacation in the first place. He couldn't help but give a weary sigh; _sometimes, being the boss, could be a pain._

It was on days like these; that he longed for retirement. Although, those feelings were instantly pushed aside because, even though he loathed to admit it, he thrived on the challenge of running a successful business, and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he'd probably end up going stir crazy, after a few days with nothing to do and no responsibilities.

At the thought, he couldn't help but release another weary sigh, as he stole a glance at his pokegear; that was currently residing on the side of his desk. Much to his dismay, the screen remained obstinately blank. He couldn't help but sigh again, as he rubbed at his tired eyes. The way this was going; work was definitely a lost cause at this point. Although, he was quite impressed for having got anything done at all, since Steven's phone call.

"President Stone?"

It was the call of his name; that finally got him to focus, on something other than his turbulent thoughts.

As he averted his attention towards where the voice had originated from, he encountered his most trusted aide, standing just inside the doorway, sporting a rather tentative, if not, inquisitive look.

"Any news yet Sir?"

Mr Stone couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips at his aide's words; _it seemed_ _he wasn't the only one on edge about the imminent arrival._ He leant back in his seat slightly, before finally addressing the man, stood just inside the doorway.

"Not yet I'm afraid."

He could see his aide shoot him a rather, sympathetic look.

"I'm sure it won't be much longer Sir…I mean, you didn't have to wait this long for news on Jayden and Amethyst."

He couldn't help but release a little chuckle at that; _the man did have a very valid point._

"I hope so too; as it would certainly help put my mind at ease, and maybe, give me a chance to actually finish some of my work," he replied, as an amused smile settled across his lips. "Although, this is a Stone we are talking about here, so anything is…" However, his sentence was immediately cut off, by the shrill ring of his pokegear.

Despite anxiously awaiting for his pokegear to ring; Mr Stone couldn't help but freeze at the noise. It took him a few seconds, for him to finally shake himself out of his frozen stupor, before he quickly reached for device.

After taking a quick glance at the caller ID, he couldn't help but take in a deep breath at the name that flashed on there, before hastily pressing the accept button.

"Steven?"

"Hello father. Sorry for keeping you waiting…"

There was a moments pause, and Mr Stone couldn't help but hold his breath as he waited for his son to articulate what he wanted to say. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait for long, because after a few more agonizing seconds, his son's voice, could finally be heard again.

"However, I think you will be pleased to know, that you are now a grandfather once again."

At his son's words, he couldn't stop the wave of relief that flooded through him at the joyous news, as he finally released the breath he'd been holding, since accepting the call. _What_ _a_ _relief_.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his aide raise a questioning eyebrow in his direction, as he anxiously shuffled on the spot. Mr Stone couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the sight; although deep down, he could sympathize with him, as it had been an agonizing, few hours of waiting; _and that was putting it mildly._

So, with that thought in mind, he decided to put the man out of his misery; as he shot a wide smile and thumb's up, in his aide's direction. It took a few seconds, but at his positive sign's, his aide seemed to visibly relax, as a wide smile finally spread across his lips, before he mouthed a heartfelt 'congratulations,' in his direction.

He couldn't help but shoot his aide another wide smile, before returning his attention back to his son, who was still on the other end of the phone line.

"That's fabulous news son. I am so proud of you my boy," he joyously exclaimed. "But I trust, both Cynthia and my new grandchild are doing well?"

He swore he could hear the happiness in his son's voice, even through the phone line.

"Indeed father, everything went wonderfully," his son jubilantly responded; before he released a contented sigh. "In fact…everything is perfect."

Mr Stone couldn't stop his smile from widening at the news; _not that he would've wanted to anyway._ He didn't think Steven could make him any prouder, but as of this moment, listening to the contentment in his son's voice, he could honestly say, he'd been proven wrong.

"I bet…" he replied, before deciding to ask the question, he'd been dying to know the answer to, since the announcement of this pregnancy. "So, tell me my boy…should I be buying blue or pink things for my new grandchild?"

At his question, there was a moment's pause, before his son released a heartfelt chuckle.

"Funny you should mention that father…" his son began, as another little chuckle escaped him. "You see; the thing is..." There was a slight pause as his son trailed off again, before the sound of shuffling could be heard coming through the phone line.

Mr Stone couldn't help the feeling of confusion that spread through him at the pause. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear his son was stalling for some grand reveal.

He wasn't disappointed, when his theory was indeed proved correct, when a couple of seconds later, he could hear his son take in a deep breath, before he finally stopped stalling.

"You'll have to buy both…because dear father...it's twins!"

* * *

 _Present time…_

 _And what a grand reveal it had been._

Mr Stone was briefly jolted out of his musings, by the sound of the pilot's voice over the intercom, who was now, announcing their descent into Sinnoh. He couldn't help but take in a deep breath, before releasing a little amused chuckle, as he returned to his memories once again. Even though it certainly hadn't been amusing at the time, thinking back on it now, his reaction to his son's bombshell, actually, really was.

Thinking back on it now, those few moments after his son had dropped that...surprise on him, (he could honestly say,) were still slightly hazy; in fact, he couldn't even remember hanging up the phone, or even, his aide's concerned gaze and questions; that came immediately after it.

His aide had told him much later, (after he'd finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor,) that he'd nearly had to call an ambulance for him, as it had looked almost like he'd been seconds away from a heart attack. Thankfully, he'd managed to come around in time, before said phone call was actually made by said aide, but he wasn't above admitting, that during those few minutes after that announcement, he'd been pretty close to having one.

At the memory, he made a mental note, to have a few words with his son about these types of surprises in the future, because he was certainly, not at the right age to be having these sorts of shock anymore. Thankfully, he'd already been sitting down at the time, because he was quite sure, he would have collapsed to the floor in shock otherwise. _At least the chair had saved him from that indignity._

But back to the present. Even though it had now being a week since said announcement, Mr Stone wasn't above admitting, that he was still in a slight daze about the whole thing. However, he couldn't help the amused smirk that crossed his lips, as he remembered that he wasn't the only one that was beyond bewildered at the news, because if the phone call he'd received from Professor Carolina, two days after said birth's had been anything to go by, then she was clearly in the same boat as him. _At least his embarrassing reaction had more or less gone unwitnessed, apart from said aide of course._

However, despite the surreal feeling, he couldn't help but wonder what his new grandchild...grandchildren were going to be like, and whether they'd be like their older siblings? He couldn't help but give an internal chuckle at the thought; _of course they were going to be; they were part Stone after all._

He was instantly jolted out of those amusing thoughts, by the feeling of tyres hitting gravel, as the plane finally touched down on the runway. As said plane began taxiing down the runway, he couldn't help but release an amused sigh. _He'd better relish these last few minutes of peace and tranquillity, because he was quite sure, he wasn't going to be getting anything of the sort, during the rest of his vacation._

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Mr Stone now found himself stood outside of his son and daughter-in-law's front door.

As he stared at the door in front of him, he couldn't help but relish the last few moments of peace and solitude, before taking in a deep breath of Sinnohnian air, as he finally raised his hand, in order to knock on the door.

However, before his hand even made contact with the door, said door was immediately yanked open by his daughter-in-law. Before he even had a chance to say anything, Cynthia raised a finger to her lips, in a sort of shushing motion, before she stepped aside in the doorway; gesturing him inside with her head.

He wasn't above admitting; that he'd been slightly startled and way beyond confused, by her rather sudden appearance and gestures; but, as soon as he made his way into the house and beyond the hallway and into the living room, his confusion instantly vanished, as he could clearly see why, his daughter-in-law had done what she had done. For as soon as he entered said living room, his eyes immediately locked onto, one of the most heart-warming sight's imaginable.

He'd been curious as to why there hadn't been more of a welcoming party when he'd arrived, especially, from his older grandchildren and son, but now he could clearly see why that wasn't the case, as they were currently unavailable. For Steven, was laying flat out on the living room couch; arms securely around little Ruben and Amber; that rested atop of his chest; whilst Amethyst and Jayden, lay sprawled out on either side of him; one arm thrown over the sibling closest to them.

However, what made the sight even more complete; was the fact, that all of them, were soundly asleep. _No wonder why Cynthia had made such an effort to intercept him at the door when he'd arrived, what sane person would want to disturb that wondrous sight?_ He couldn't help but release a content sigh, as he continued to gaze at them; _how adorable they all looked._ He honestly thought he couldn't be anymore prouder of his son, but based on what he was currently witnessing, he could honestly say, Steven had proved him wrong...again.

He finally tore his gaze of the wondrous sight, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. As he turned, he encountered the warm gaze of his daughter-in-law. She gave him a joyful smile, before gesturing with her head towards the kitchen.

A wide smile settled across his lips, as he gave her a little nod. He stole one more glance at his son and grandchildren, before making his way into the kitchen, quickly followed by his daughter-in-law, who closed the door behind her.

* * *

Twenty minutes after entering the house, he was now sat at his son and daughter-in-law's kitchen table. He could clearly hear Cynthia bustling around behind him, but while she was, he couldn't help but get lost in his thoughts again.

It was no surprise that they immediately returned to the scene he'd just witnessed, moments ago. Judging by the fact; that ninety percent of the family were currently conked out, it didn't take a genius to figure out, that it must have been, a very disturbed night in the Stone residency. Mr Stone couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at that; _well..._ _there were two new infants to be taken care of after all._

Although, he had to admit, it had been amazing, to actually encounter silence and stillness for a change, when he'd entered the house, because usually, it was nothing of the sort, especially, where his older grandchildren were concerned. He couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought; there always seemed to be some sort of bustle and noise that surrounded his son's family, so to see them all so still and quiet...was really quite amusing.

He was finally brought out of his amusing thoughts, when a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him on the table. He couldn't help but send Cynthia a fond smile, as she placed her own mug on the table, before taking a seat opposite him, as a little amused smile settled across her lips.

"I'd like to apologize for my abruptness earlier, but...well…" she apologized, before she gestured towards the living room with her head. "I think you can understand and appreciate why I did."

Mr Stone couldn't help the but give a little chuckle at her words.

"That's quite alright Cynthia, I totally understand," he replied, before an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I mean...you have to take what peace and quiet you can, when you can."

At his response, Cynthia's lips twitched in amusement.

"I suppose you're right," she replied, before she tilted her head slightly. "Because you could say; that peace and quiet, has been…rather hard to come by the past week." She reached for her mug, but just before taking a sip, a soft smile settled across her lips. "But honestly...I wouldn't want it any other way."

At his daughter-in-law's words, Mr Stone couldn't help the feeling of elation that coursed through him, as he took in her rather contented expression. He'd always held the woman in very high regard, ever since the day, he'd first been introduced to her; two months after, she had started dating his son. He could remember it, like it was just yesterday.

At the time of their meeting, his son's relationship with the Sinnoh Champion had been a secret, one that they had attempted to keep at the time, in order to stop it from becoming a public spectacle; _or, as he had suspected as well, to stop any unnecessary embarrassment; that would obviously have come from any teasing, they would have had to endure from their announcement._ If it hadn't been for Wallace, over excitingly blurting it out to him, he was quite sure, it might have been a few more months, before he would have known himself.

He couldn't deny, that'd he'd been quite...surprised at first, when he'd actually found out about his son's change in relationship status, because he wasn't ashamed to admit; that he always feared that his son would end up spending his life as a bachelor, because Steven had never seemed the least bit interested in dating. Although, in some respects, he supposed that he was partly at fault for that. With the royalties that running a successful business brought, and with Steven being the heir to all that, sometimes, finding someone who loved you for who you were rather than your wealth, could be tricky.

But then he'd met Cynthia. After making her acquaintance that day, it had been clear to see; that she wasn't like most women, and after witnessing the way in which his son acted around her, it was clear to see, that she was special. He couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle; as he wasn't above admitting, that upon meeting her that day, he'd instantly known that she; was exactly the sort of person, who he would have been proud to have called his daughter-in-law; _even though Steven would have been mortified to know that, at the time._

Now, ten years later, it was heartening to know; that his assumptions that day, had been proved correct.

He reached for his mug, in order to take a sip of his now, slightly cooled tea, before once again, levelling his gaze with his daughter-in-law.

"I have to say though, you are looking extremely well, especially, for someone who has just given birth to twins, a mere week ago," he stated, as he took another sip of his tea; before lowering his mug back to the table.

Cynthia gave a little chuckle at his observations.

"I suppose I am, all things considered, but then again, I have had a lot of help," she replied, as a wide smile settled across her lips. "In fact, if it weren't for Steven, Amethyst and Jayden's unwavering support, especially, in the night, I very well, might not have been feeling as sprightly as I am."

Mr Stone couldn't help but smirk slightly at her words; _well...that would explain the scene he'd witnessed earlier._ However, before he could reply, their conversation was instantly cut short, when the sound of light footsteps could be heard approaching the kitchen door. _It seemed someone, was finally awake._

As the door finally creaked open, he could see Cynthia turn in her seat, before his own eyes averted in the same direction, only to encounter his eldest granddaughter walking in, rubbing the eye underneath her fringe. He couldn't help but smile fondly at her; _she was definitely the spitting image of her mother._

"Mum..." she mumbled, as she slowly made her way further into the kitchen, shutting the door behind her as she did. "What time..." But her words trailed off as a wide yawn escaped her. "Sorry.."

It was only once she stopped rubbing her eye, did she finally seem to notice his presence. As her gaze finally settled on his, he couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at her rather confused expression. It took a few more seconds before her eyes, finally widened in recognition.

"Grandfather!" she quietly exclaimed, as she hastily came over to give him a hug.

As he hugged the girl close, he couldn't help but release a little sigh. Even though she and her brother could be a handful at times, that still didn't mean he hadn't missed them. _Being a whole region apart was a pain,_ he mused _. But then again, sometimes, it wasn't._

"Would you like something to drink Amethyst?" he could hear Cynthia ask.

At the question, Amethyst released her grip from around him and turned back around, in order to face her mother. As she did, she shook her head, before walking towards her and raising her arms upwards and outwards, wordlessly asking for permission to sit with her.

He didn't miss the rather fond smile that flittered across Cynthia's lips, as she lifted the girl into her lap. Once there, Amethyst immediately nestled her head underneath her mother's chin, as she tightly wrapped her arms around her middle, before releasing a little tired sigh.

Once she was settled, her mother leant down to place a kiss atop of her head, before encircling the girl in her arms.

"Tired baby girl?" she asked, as she raised one of her hands, in order to brush away the fringe from Amethyst's eyes. Even though her head remained obstinately underneath her chin, his eldest granddaughter gave a little nod, before tightening her arms even more around her mother.

At the response, Cynthia kissed the top of her head again, before cuddling her closer.

"Go back to sleep Amethyst."

At her mother's words, his eldest granddaughter gave a sleepy nod and murmur, before her eyes fully closed, as she finally dozed off.

Mr Stone couldn't help the content smile that crept over his lips, as he witnessed the whole exchange between mother and daughter. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Amethyst was still a child, what with how mature she acted for her age. However, it was moments like this, which he had just witnessed, that reminded him that underneath all those smarts, she was still just a little girl.

It was the sound of Cynthia's voice, that finally, brought him out of his musings.

"I don't think I've said it yet, but we are so glad you could find the time to visit," she said, as her lips twitched in amusement. "Even if there wasn't much of a welcome party to provide the greeting."

He couldn't help but release a little chuckle at that; _he had to give it to his daughter-in-law, she had a sense of humour._

"Well…to be honest, I don't think I mind too much," he replied, before releasing another little chuckle. "Because I'm sure, I'll be getting a proper greeting very soon…"

As if on cue, a cry could be heard coming from the living room, which was quickly followed by another. As the sound doubled, Mr Stone couldn't help but cringe lightly; _well…it looked like peace and quiet had definitely gone out the window now._

"Sounds like Amber and Ruben are awake again," Amethyst mumbled, as her eyes blearily opened, before she released a little groan, of what he suspected, was annoyance. "And I only just went back to sleep too."

Mr Stone couldn't help but feel slightly sheepish at his eldest granddaughter's words. He felt rather guilty, because it seemed he'd jinxed it. However, before he could apologize in anyway, the door to the kitchen swung open again, this time, revealing his oldest grandson, who strolled in, looking just as exhausted as his sister was.

"Mum…Ruben and Amber are awake," he muttered, before rubbing his eyes, as a loud yawn escaped him.

"Thank you Jayden," she replied, as her arms retracted from around her eldest daughter.

Jayden gave a little nod at her response, before his gaze tilted in his direction. As their eyes connected, Mr Stone could clearly see the gears turning in the boy's mind, as he continued to stare at him. Amusingly, it was almost identical to the expression his sister had given him, when she'd first noticed his presence. Though, the look didn't last for long, as recognition quickly flashed through those bleary, blue orbs.

"Grandfather! I didn't know you were here," he exclaimed, as he sauntered over to give him a hug, just like his sister had done previously. "I guess you've come to meet our new baby brother and sister," he continued, as he stepped back from their hug. "Which as you can hear, are now wide awake."

At his words, a loud snort came from across the table, which unsurprisingly, came from his sister.

"Thanks for stating the glaringly obvious Jayden," Amethyst irritably replied, as she finally released her arms from around her mother, before sliding off her lap to stand upright once again. "It's not as if we can't hear them plainly from here."

At her rather sarcastic response, Jayden sent a rather unimpressed glare in her direction, one, that could of (in his opinion anyway) rivalled that of his mother's. He couldn't help but be amused by the thought; _because it seemed, that_ _underneath all that Stone charm, Jayden had inherited something from his mother after all._

"Well excuse me sister...forgive me for being helpful, unlike you," Jayden replied, rather flatly.

"Oh...is that so brother?" Amethyst sharply responded, with a raise of her eyebrow. "Well...who stayed up the longest last night, when Amber wouldn't go back to sleep?"

"I was awake!" Jayden retorted, before giving a huff and folding his arms, in what he suspected, was annoyance. "I was helping dad resettle Ruben."

"No you weren't, you fell asleep in the rocking chair, whilst dad was making sure Ruben was resettled!"

"I wasn't asleep! Anyway, how would you know? Because when we returned to mum and dad's bedroom; you were curled up in a ball, sound asleep."

Even though Jayden's glare could rival his mother's, the glare his sister shot him in response; was definitely all Cynthia.

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't brother."

"Oh yes you were sister."

"Jayden I swear…"

Mr Stone couldn't help but give a weary sigh, as he continued to listen to their bickering; even though he'd missed them dearly, this; was definitely one thing that he hadn't missed at all. Thankfully, said bickering was immediately brought to a rather abrupt halt, by the stern voice of his daughter-in-law.

"Amethyst…Jayden…" she firmly stated, as she rose from her seat, before raising an eyebrow at the both of them. "Now is not the time to be bickering with each other," she continued, before throwing an arm over each of their shoulders. "Especially, as your father needs our assistance with Ruben and Amber."

At her words, both children shot their mother a sheepish smile, before each muttered an apology. At their response, Cynthia pulled them closer to her, before giving them both a side hug.

"I know it's a tiring time for us all, but bickering with each other isn't going to solve anything," she softly stated, before giving them both, another hug. "Both me and your father really do appreciate the help you've both given us, never doubt that." With that, she began steering them towards the kitchen door. "So now that we've established that; let's go and rescue your father shall we?"

There was a collective murmur of agreement from both children, before they both exited through the kitchen door, back into the living room, in order to aid their father with their new siblings. As soon as they did, Cynthia turned to face him, once again.

"Would you like to come and finally meet your new grandchildren?" she asked, as a little smile settled across her lips."Because I'm quite sure, Steven will need rescuing by now."

Mr Stone couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at her words; _h_ e _had to hand it to Cynthia; she definitely had a wicked sense of humour._

"I believe we better had," he replied, before rising from his seat, as he sent an amused glance in Cynthia's direction. "Because I'm quite sure, we'll never hear the end of it otherwise."

He could see her lips twitch in amusement, before she finally turned and made her way towards the source of all the noise. As she did, Mr Stone couldn't help but chuckle to himself, before eventually following after his daughter-in-law. _Well...it was finally time to meet_ _the new little handfuls._

* * *

A half hour later, after finally getting both infants to settle down, Mr Stone now found himself, sat on one of the living room's comfy chairs, arms securely around his new grandson, who was thankfully, asleep once again.

As the boy peacefully slumbered in his arms, he couldn't help but gaze in wonder at him. Despite Ruben's blue eyes, (which he had caught a glimpse of when he was awake;) and the obvious blue tufts of hair he had on his head, he could clearly see both Cynthia and his son in his features, unlike his older siblings, who only seemed to have, rather dominant features of one parent. He was quite sure, when he finally got a good look at Amber, the same thing would apply; _well…both her and Ruben are twins after all._

It was the sound of his son's voice; that finally made him tear his gaze off his newest grandson.

"I'm so glad you could make it father…" Steven stated, as he ran a hand through his tousled blue locks, that seemed to be in more disarray than usual. _Probably due to his little nap,_ he mused, before giving a little inward chuckle at the thought.

"I'm just sorry I wasn't available to greet you upon your arrival, but I was…" he trailed off, as he tried to think of a suitable word to describe his digression.

Thankfully, his wife came to his aid.

"Occupied at the time?" she interjected, before readjusting Amber into a more comfortable position in her arms.

His son gave a little chuckle, before shooting his wife a grateful smile, one of which, she gave him return.

"Yes…let's go with that…thanks love," he replied with a titter, before once again running a hand through his hair, in order to try and tame some of the disarrayed strands.

Mr Stone couldn't help but give him a warm smile.

"It's quite alright son you have no need to apologize, I completely understand." He couldn't help but quickly glance at the boy in his arms, before levelling his gaze with his son once again, and gesturing with his head, towards the little girl being held in her mother's arms. "Like I mentioned to Cynthia earlier, you need to get your rest when you can."

A little chuckle escaped his son again, before he turned in his seat, in order to brush one finger against his youngest daughter's cheek; who had finally, dropped back off into the land of nod in her mother's arms.

"If it weren't for this little bundle here, who was so adamant on waking up her brother too, we may have still had some."

"Actually father, it's more like the whole house could have," Amethyst chimed in from where she was stood, to the side of her mother.

A nod of approval came from her brother.

"Indeed…it's almost as if she likes to be heard," Jayden stated, before he ran a hand across his jaw line, something of which, he'd seen his son do, on many occasions. "In fact, she's a lot like Amethyst," Jayden muttered lowly, as an after thought.

However, unfortunately for him, it didn't seem to be quite low enough, because immediately after his words, his sister shot him a steely glare, before giving him a rather sharp nudge with her elbow.

"What was that brother, I don't think I quite heard what you said? Because it almost sounded like you were calling me noisy."

"Ow Amethyst!" he exclaimed, before rubbing the spot she had just elbowed. "I'm only stating a fact...I mean let's be reasonable, you always do tend to get what you want, and you complain if you don't; quite vehemently too, if I do say so," he muttered, as he folded his arms, in what looked liked, justification.

However, it came as no surprise, that Jayden's response, didn't sit well with his sister at all.

"Oh...is that so brother?" she retorted, as her eyes narrowed slightly. "And you don't?"

Jayden gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"Maybe…but not as much as you do."

Much to Mr Stone's relief, before any more retorts could be made, his daughter-in-law, once again intervened.

"Amethyst…Jayden…" she sternly stated, before turning in her seat and raising her eyebrow at the pair of them. "What have I said about bickering?"

At her gaze, both children shot her another sheepish smile.

"But mother, Jayden was out of line," Amethyst quietly retorted, as she raised her finger and pointed towards her brother.

Cynthia gave a soft sigh.

"Whilst I do agree with you Amethyst, it still doesn't mean that bickering is the answer," she replied calmly, before averting her attention towards her oldest son. "Although Jayden, your sister is indeed correct."

The boy gave a weary sigh, before running a hand through his tousled locks, just like his father had done, moments ago.

"Well…you have to admit mother, I do have a fair point," he quietly retorted, as he began to shuffle from one foot to another.

Immediately after Jayden's words, out of the corner of his eye, Mr Stone could see his son lean forward in his seat towards him. He couldn't help but lean towards him slightly in response.

"He has a point mind…" his son whispered, before giving a little chuckle. "Because the females' of this family, do tend to get their own way more often than not," he continued, before finally leaning back into his seat.

Unbeknownst to him though, it seemed that the Sinnoh Champion, could hear just as well as her oldest daughter could, if the blank look she was now shooting his son was anything to go by.

"Oh really dear?" Cynthia enquired, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion, as she raised an eyebrow at him questionably.

Mr Stone struggled to hold in his amusement; at the rather alarmed and sheepish smile his son shot his wife at her question. His facial expression said it all; _busted._

"Uh…well…do...do I really need to elaborate on that?"

Cynthia only tilted her head at his sheepish response; her expression remaining blank.

"Oh no, please do elaborate. I'm dying to here the answer to this."

A little chuckle escaped Jayden, at his mother's response.

"Looks like you're in trouble father."

At his amused response, his mother shot a glance in his direction.

"You aren't off the hook either yet, young man," she replied, before once again, returning her gaze towards her husband.

"No…you most certainly aren't brother," Amethyst chimed in as well, as she folded her arms and shot her brother a look; that was identical to the one her mother was now shooting her father.

As the older family members continued to playfully bicker amongst them-selves, Mr Stone couldn't help but let an amused smile finally cross his lips.

Even though he wouldn't admit it, even under the penalty of death, he couldn't deny; that he actually enjoyed the constant noise that surrounded this family, because despite everything, he could honestly say, he couldn't have been anymore prouder of them. Yes, they could all be handfuls, but he wouldn't want them any other way.

As if she sensed she was missing something, a cry came from the little girl that had been sleeping in her mother's arms; _emphasis on the was._ Unfortunately, that was enough to wake the once slumbering boy that he was currently holding, as he began to squirm restlessly in his arms, obviously upset at being disturbed.

Mr Stone couldn't help but release a weary sigh, one thing was for certain, he whole heartedly agreed with his son and eldest grandson's earlier comments, there was no question over the fact; that the females' of this family, definitely knew how to get what they wanted, and judging by the noise that the newest little female Stone was creating; she was going to be exactly the same.

He couldn't help but release a heavy sigh at the thought; _oh...joy._

* * *

 **And there we go!**

 **I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **It's definitely going to be fun, especially, as the universe has now expanded with the twins.**

 **Anyway...**

 **Reviews always welcomed, but also, please keep those idea coming too! I've got some ideas brewing from some requests already, so the more inspiration the better!**

 **Hopefully, I will see you all again soon!**

 **Until next time!**


	30. The Art Of Teasing

**Hello once again!**

 **Another chapter and not a lot between the last one, impressive for me...**

 **Anyway, this story is an actual request from 122 Generation, who asked for a continuation from Chapter 28, which was entitled Innocent Discovery. So, this is the continuation of that chapter if you like. **

**I think it's fairly obvious to say, before you read this, I would recommend reading the above mentioned chapter, because otherwise, you may not understand what this one's about.**

 **Anyway, enough blabbering. Story is once again told from Diantha's point of view, so her thoughts will be the ones in _italics._**

 **I am strongly advising you all, that this chapter is a T rating, because there are adult things mentioned. Blame Diantha...**

 **Have fun!**

* * *

As Diantha sat at the dining hall breakfast table awaiting the other Champions, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the glorious opportunity she had been gifted with this morning.

To be fair, it had been a complete accident and well…a huge miscalculation on their part; that she'd found out about them in the first place. However, thanks to their error, it had presented her with said, glorious opportunity, one, that she had no intention of passing up.

She had promised them; that she'd keep their secret quiet, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun teasing them about it. If anyone got suspicious, she could always pretend it was an act; because if there was one thing she was good at, it was acting. Her lips curled up at the thought; _the possibilities were endless._

"Diantha."

It was the call of her name; that finally seemed to snap her out of her musings. As she turned towards the source of the voice, she couldn't help the smile that broke free at the sight of the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions', who were now making their way over to the table she was sat at.

She couldn't help but follow them with her eyes, as they finally took a seat next to each other, Cynthia sitting directly opposite her, Steven to her right. As they settled, Diantha couldn't help but tilt her head slightly as she regarded the pair.

"Well, well…it's about time you two turned up," she exclaimed, before her smile morphed into a smirk. "For a moment there, I was beginning to think you'd both gone back to bed." She couldn't help but give them a little suggestive wink. "I wouldn't blame you after all, because I'm sure you both didn't get much sleep last night."

Much to her amusement, the reactions she got were exactly what she had been expecting from the both of them, and she had to admit, they were damn hilarious. For Steven, had stiffened instantly; his cheeks flushing a bright red. Cynthia on the other hand, was shooting her what could only be described, as a rather blank look. _She had to hand it to the Sinnoh Champion mind; she pulled off the unimpressed glare rather well._

"Diantha…" Cynthia managed to hiss out a few seconds later, her gaze boring into her own.

Diantha could almost hear the underlining warning, in the way the Sinnoh Champion had spat out her name. She couldn't help but be amused by it; _so predictable._ However, instead of backing down, like she was sure Cynthia had hoped, she decided to ignore her; _she'd only just gotten started after all._

"Do you think it's wise for you both to sit next to each other? I mean, are you sure you can you keep your hands off each other long enough?"

"Diantha…" Cynthia hissed again, as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Much to her disappointment, before she could get any more jibes in; the joint Kanto and Johto Champion; finally decided to join them.

"Good morning all," he briskly greeted them, before taking the seat on the other side of Steven. "How are we all this morning?"

"I'm good Lance, thank you for asking," Cynthia replied, tearing her gaze away from her own, in order to focus her attention on the new arrival. "And yourself?"

Lance gave a warm smile.

"Very well thank you, I did indeed sleep very well. I hope you all got some decent rest too?"

"Of course Lance," she chimed in, before her lips curled up slightly. "I imagine some of us more so than others." Once again, Diantha found herself on the receiving end of the blonde's glare. Although, instead of being intimidated, she felt even more determined.

However, before she could continue with the rather amusing show, the final member of the group arrived, (as boisterous as ever,) as he took the seat on her right.

"Well, I don't know about all of you, but I slept like a log," Alder chuckled.

"Well…with the amount of beer you polished off last night, I'm surprised you got up this morning at all," the joint Johto and Kanto Champion tittered, as he poured himself a glass of juice from the jug in the centre of the table.

Diantha couldn't help the little smirk that curled at the corner of her lips at Lance's words. Thanks to his comment, he'd just given her a great opening, and there was no way she was going to waste the opportunity.

She snuck a sly glance at the Hoenn Champion, who had just begun to lift his glass of orange juice towards his lips. It seemed that the man was completely unaware of the devious glance she was giving him; _or he could have been deliberately ignoring her._ Either way, he was completely oblivious. Her smirk grew.

With being an actress, awaiting her cue, was a task that came easily to her, and on this occasion, it paid off, because just as the Hoenn Champion lifted the glass to his lips, it was almost as if she could hear the call of _'action,'_ even inside her own mind. Her smirk grew a little more. _It was show time._

"Oh…I'm sure he wasn't the only thing that didn't struggle to get up this morning."

She had to admit, the response she got; beat even her own expectations, and they'd been pretty high to begin with. In fact, it was damn near perfect. _I couldn't have planned that any better, even if I had tried._

Diantha had to seriously bite her bottom lip, in order to stop her amusement from escaping at the man's reactions. She couldn't deny, that her timing had been impeccable, because her words had coincided, exactly in sync with Steven taking a sip of his orange juice, which he now, began to physically choke on, all thanks to the suggestive content of her comment.

"You okay there; Stone?" Alder humorously asked, as Lance began hitting the Hoenn Champion on the back, in an attempt to help him regain his breath.

It took a few more seconds of coughing, before the Hoenn man actually managed to find his breath.

"Just…just peachy," he weakly responded, before giving another little cough. "It…it just went down the wrong pipe." As he began to regain his composure, he turned to the man sat beside him. "Thanks Lance."

"No problem," he replied, before lifting his own glass of juice. "We wouldn't want you passing out on us after all."

"Oh…I'm sure someone wouldn't have minded giving him mouth-to-mouth if he had passed out," she chimed in, as she shot a devious smile in the Sinnoh Champion's direction. "Wouldn't you agree Cynthia?"

All eyes seemed to avert towards the blonde, all except Steven, whose gaze bore a hole into the table. Thankfully for him, his little choking fit had disguised his need to explain the rather prominent flush that had overcome his cheeks.

"Yes…I'm quite sure someone would have Diantha," the blonde finally responded, gritting her teeth slightly in the process, as her eyes narrowed dangerously in her direction once again.

Luckily for Cynthia, the attention was drawn away from her by a sharp bark of laughter; that came from the man on the opposite end of the table.

"Well it wouldn't have been me," Alder boisterously responded, before releasing another little chuckle, as he pointed his fork in the direction of the still mortified Hoenn Champion. "No offence Stone."

"Oh believe me Alder, it wasn't you I was thinking of…no offence intended," she smugly responded.

However, before she could say much more, she could feel the toe end of a shoe connect lightly with her shin. Despite it only being a light impact, she couldn't help but turn her surprised gaze to the culprit, who was shooting her, another rather un-amused look. The message was pretty clear; _cut it out._

Diantha couldn't help but tilt her head slightly. She never would have thought that Cynthia would resort to such childish antics, but it seemed she had been proved wrong, which amused her greatly. In fact, it was actually quite entertaining to unsettle the usually stoic, Sinnoh Champion.

Although, despite her amusement at her colleague's rather childish antics, she was thankful that the Sinnoh Champion hadn't tried harder, because she was quite sure that those shoes she wore, would have left her with a nice little bruise otherwise.

Thankfully for them, and much to her disappointment, it was the sturdy voice of Lance; that seemed to put an end to the whole ordeal.

"Well thankfully, we won't have to find out," he replied, before picking up his utensils from the table. "Perhaps we should concentrate on breakfast now, because I am quite sure, we will need the sustenance for the long day off meetings ahead."

There was unanimous sound of agreement from the other Champions', one of which she couldn't help but give a little internal sigh at; _she'd been enjoying that._ Although, Lance was right, if she was going to survive the meetings; she'd better focus on eating something; _besides, there would be plenty of opportunities later to tease them some more._ She couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought.

Just as she began to reach for her own glass of orange juice, she couldn't help but shoot a glance in Cynthia's direction; who, it seemed, was purposefully trying to ignore her. She couldn't help but give an internal chuckle at the knowledge. Although, she did make a mental note to ask the Sinnoh Champion at some point, if she could give her some pointers on how to pull off that rather impressive un-amused expression, because honestly, the woman could win a film award for them alone.

* * *

With breakfast now over, it was time to head to the meeting. All of the men had instantly gone ahead to the conference room, however, Cynthia had mumbled something about getting some fresh air before they started, whilst she had opted to use the restroom.

After using said facilities, once she'd stepped back into the corridor, it came as no surprise to her, that she found the Sinnoh Champion waiting for her. Judging from the blonde's expression, quite frankly, she didn't look impressed with her at all.

"What was that Diantha?" Cynthia hissed out, as her eyes narrowed slightly at her. It was safe to say, that the Sinnoh Champion was definitely, not impressed with her.

However, instead of placating the obviously, frustrated woman, she decided to play coy.

"What was what?" she replied innocently. "I was just using the restroom."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

 _Was it wrong to find Cynthia's ire amusing?_ She wasn't sure, but the results were quite a sight. However, despite the intrigue it brought, for the sake of Cynthia's sanity, she decided to put her out of her misery.

"Oh…you mean what happened at breakfast right?"

 _Was that a hint of growl?_ She couldn't help but be amused. It wasn't as if she hadn't already warned her, well…them really; and besides, there was no way she was going to pass up on some of those glorious opportunities that had been presented to her _; I mean, it would have been rude to have._

"Which reminds me…kicking me under the table? Honestly Cynthia, what are we, five?" She couldn't help but raise her eyebrow in scepticism. "I would have thought you wouldn't have resulted to such lows."

If looks could kill, she was sure she'd have been dead by now.

"Are you trying to rat us out?" Cynthia hissed out again, before rubbing a hand over her forehead in exasperation. "You promised Diantha."

"And I'm a woman of my word Cynthia," she reassured her, before the corner of her lips curled up slightly. "But I did say that it wouldn't stop me from teasing you… which also reminds me…you still owe me details."

"Details?" Cynthia enquired, her hand dropping sharply form her forehead, as a look of confusion overcame her.

Diantha couldn't help but be amused by the blonde's rather, mystified expression; _the woman was so naïve when it came to emotions._

"Yes, you know…details," she replied, using her fingers as quotations, on the word details. "You know…the basic things about your relationship with the Hoenn dreamboat. For example, things like, how you got together; does he shower you with compliments; does he buy you things, you know…standard questions really."

The blonde gave her another blank look.

"What?"

"Yep, it's a customary thing between friends," she continued, before tilting her head slightly, her smile widening at the blonde's still, rather perplexed expression. _Oh…this was way too easy. "_ Although, as your closest female friend, it does also mean, that I will be expecting…how should I put it…more intimate details, shall we say."

 _Was it healthy for the colour to drain that quickly from someone's face?_ She wasn't sure, but she was willing to risk it.

"Come again?"

"You know, Cynthia…intimate details." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Of course you don't have to go into too much detail, I mean…too much information and all that, but I will be expecting some sort of satisfactory answers." She clicked her fingers together. "In fact, we can start now," she continued, before leaning in slightly towards her and lowering her voice, her lips curling into a smirk. "So…what's he like in bed?"

The reaction she got, was far better than she'd imagined.

"Diantha!" Cynthia cried in outrage, her eyes widening, as a furious blush overcame her features.

Diantha had to admit; she was quite surprised that no one had come running to investigate the loud cry; _wouldn't that have be fun to explain though if someone had._ Her lips curled up at the thought, _she could just imagine it now…_

After a few moments of silence, it seemed that no answer was going to be forthcoming, so she decided to plough on ahead.

"Hmm…maybe that is jumping the gun a little," she muttered to herself, completely ignoring the exasperated look Cynthia was still shooting her. "Perhaps I should start with something easier then?" She clicked her fingers together again. "I know; why don't we start with you telling me, whether the rumours of him being well toned are true…you know, since you've seen him naked after all."

"Diantha!" Cynthia cried out again, her face flushing a deeper red.

"Hmm…no? Damn…and I thought that was an easier question," she muttered, before shaking her head slightly. "Aw well, no matter; we'll start with an even easier one then, because I am sure you can tell me whether or not he is a good kisser?"

Despite usually being a very well mannered individual, it seemed that Cynthia had finally had enough, as she stormed off down the corridor towards the conference room; muttering, what she suspected, was something derogatory about her as she went.

"Is that a no?" she called after her, but unsurprisingly, the Sinnoh Champion blatantly ignored her question, as her pace seemed to quicken.

Diantha couldn't help but release a chuckle at her friend's retreating form. It was quite obvious that Cynthia was annoyed with her. She knew she'd have to apologize to her later, but for now, she was quite happy to bask in her amusement.

 _I'll get those answers out of her one day._

* * *

Three hours later, and the meetings had ceased for lunch. Diantha couldn't help but release a little sigh, as she watched the floor numbers' light up in the elevator, as she rode it upwards.

She was currently alone, having made excuses to both Lance and Alder, after finishing her lunch. Both Cynthia and Steven had retired to their rooms immediately after the recess had been called; the former claiming she had a headache, while the latter claimed that his father had given him some Devon paperwork to read through. Diantha couldn't help but give a little inward snort as she recalled their excuses; _right…pull the other one._

However, whether they were excuses or not, it did give her an opportunity to speak to Cynthia alone; or if Steven was with her, (like she had suspected he was;) then she could speak to the both of them. She did owe them some sort of light apology after all, especially, for the teasing they'd endured this morning.

Even though she'd made it abundantly clear to the both of them beforehand, that there would be some teasing on their behalf; however, after seeing Cynthia storm off earlier, and add to the fact; that they both were clearly avoiding her, she couldn't deny, that it had unsettled her slightly, more so where Cynthia was concerned.

No offence to Steven, but she wasn't as close to him as she was with the Sinnoh Champion. In fact, the blonde had become her closest friend, so the thought of upsetting her in any way; was unnerving for her, because in no way, did she want to lose such an important friendship. Which was why, she was now currently heading up to the Sinnoh Champion's room. She didn't want any hard feelings to linger between them; _that's all I need._

However, before she could dwell on those thoughts for much longer, the elevator came to a sudden stop, as the doors finally opened with a ping, as she strode off, heading towards the corner; that would eventually take her towards the corridor that would lead to Cynthia's room.

Despite her purposeful intent though, she'd only managed to take a few steps into the corridor, before the sound of a door opening stopped her. At the noise, she couldn't help but freeze slightly, before taking a few hefty steps backwards; eventually, concealing herself behind the corner she'd just come from, hiding her from the view of anyone in the corridor.

Once securely concealed, she couldn't help but peak around said corner. Amazingly, _or rather, unsurprisingly,_ Steven appeared in the corridor, obviously having stepped out of the Sinnoh Champion's room. When he turned back around, Diantha could now see; that Cynthia had appeared just inside the doorway to her room. Immediately after, they both glanced to the opposite end of the corridor, obviously looking to see if anyone was around. Then their attention began to turn in her direction. Diantha's eyes widened slightly at the realization, before she quickly whipped her head back around the corner, out of the sight of their prying eyes. She couldn't help but take in a deep breath; _she hoped that they hadn't spotted her._

After a few moments of waiting with bated breath, thankfully, all she was met with was glorious silence. She was quite sure if they had spotted her, she'd have had a very stern calling of her name by now. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, it seemed her presence had gone unnoticed.

With that firm knowledge in mind, she mentally counted to five, before peaking once more around the corner. Once again, the pair was focussed on each other. She couldn't help but breathe another sigh of relief; _that was close._

With the couple firmly focussed on each other and blissfully unaware of her presence, Diantha couldn't help but openly observe the pair. Judging by the way their lips were moving, they were obviously speaking to each other, however, unfortunately for her, the pair was talking in hushed tones; so she couldn't hear anything from where she was hiding. Although, if their expressions were anything to go by, she deduced it must be something endearing, as they were both smiling at each other; _rather lovingly so too, if she did say so._

She couldn't help but turn around again, as she now focussed on the wall in front of her. As she did, she couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her. In one sense, it was actually quite amusing, because here she was; Diantha; the Champion of Kalos and world-renowned actress; resorting to spying on her fellow colleagues. _Oh…the things she'd do for a bit of gossip._ She couldn't help but release another little chuckle at the thought, _although, if anyone catches me, I'd be mortified._

She couldn't help but give a little shake of her head as a sigh escaped her. _Speaking of being caught…_ She couldn't help but shift slightly, before once again peering around the corner. She expected the pair to still be locked into some sort of conversation, like they had been when she'd diverted her attention away from them. However, what she encountered; was something she would certainly not have expected to see from either of them; _well…not out in public anyway;_ especially, considering that they were supposed to be keeping their relationship a secret.

Diantha couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment. It seemed that at some point, during the few moments she'd diverted her attention away from them, the pair had gone from quietly conversing with each other too _…well…_ She could feel her eyes widening even more at the sight _._ Even though she knew that they were…intimate with each other, so to say; she couldn't deny, it still greatly surprised her to see them kissing like that. Quite frankly, she'd never thought they'd both be that…besotted with each other.

Even though Cynthia had already claimed that it was serious between her and Steven, she still couldn't help but worry slightly about them, especially, with regards to Cynthia. _It was her job as the best friend after all._ However, after observing this rather...passionate embrace, she could now clearly say; that her concerns were most definitely unjustified, because judging from this embrace alone, it was obvious to see; that the couple were in fact, deadly serious about each other. She couldn't help the wide smile that broke free, as a content sigh escaped her; _she'd been wrong with the notion that they were cute together. The more appropriate word should be adorable._

It took a few more moments before the couple eventually pulled apart; but they didn't release each other straight away, as Steven's forehead lowered to rest against Cynthia's. Again there were words, (which she still couldn't make out,) before they embraced each other in a hug. Diantha had to admit; even her own heart had skipped a beat at the tenderness she could see being shared between the two of them.

It must have been at least another minute, before they finally seemed to retract their arms from around each other, as Steven shot her another loving smile, before angling his body towards the direction she was hiding in. Her eyes widened slightly, as she noticed that he was going to be heading her way. As much as she loved teasing them, she didn't really want them to know that she had witnessed that…little exchange. It was far too intimate, plus, it was meant to have been private. _She didn't want to get the reputation of being a peeping tom after all._ She couldn't help but shudder at the thought.

With that in mind, she stepped backwards, before swivelling around and quickly retreating towards the elevator. As she reached it, she hastily pressed the call button. Thankfully, the doors automatically pinged open and as they did, she strode inside, before pressing the down button. Luckily for her, it seemed no one else had used the elevator during the past ten minutes; _that could have been awkward otherwise._

As the doors began to close, she couldn't help but release a little sigh; _that was close…a little too close._ Although, despite feeling like a voyeur, she had to admit, observing that little exchange between them; had put her mind at ease a bit. She couldn't help the warm smile that touched her lips at the thought. Despite how much she teased them, she couldn't deny, that the sight of them together had warmed her heart considerably.

* * *

Ten minutes later, after a quick pit stop at her room, she finally made her way back into the conference room. Unsurprisingly, Alder, Lance and Steven were already sat there, the latter, obviously having come straight back down from Cynthia's room.

What was surprising however; was the absence of the Sinnoh Champion. Usually, Cynthia was very punctual and more often than not; she was always close to being the first to arrive. So for her to be the last was…very unusual. She just hoped it wasn't some avoiding tactic on her part.

Diantha couldn't help but shake her head slightly; _she wouldn't do that._ Cynthia was much more principled than that; _and besides, she looked perfectly fine about ten minutes ago._ She couldn't help the feeling of amusement that shot through her at the thought.

"Gentlemen," she finally greeted, as she strolled over and retook the seat she'd used earlier. "I hope I'm not late."

Lance gave a shake of his head.

"Not at all, we still have another five minutes yet."

"Good, I'd thought for a moment I may have been, but it seems I'm not the last to arri…" However, her words were instantly cut off, as all of their attentions' were drawn towards the missing member of the congregation, who had finally, decided to join them.

"Good afternoon everyone."

 _Well…speak of the devil. Right on time._

"Ah Cynthia, just in time," Lance's greeted her, as she fully made her way into the room.

"Thankfully," she replied, before pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I apologize for my un-tardiness, but I was resting and somehow lost track of time."

Diantha couldn't help but give a little inward snort at the Sinnoh Champion's response; _resting…yeah, sure. Is that what they call it now?_

"Well you are here now," Lance reassured her, before glancing at the watch he was wearing. "Besides, you are still technically five minutes early."

At his words, Cynthia seemed to visibly relax, as she gave a little nod, before making her way over, in order to take the seat next to her secret boyfriend. As she did, Diantha couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, as she took in her friend's features. She had to admit, Cynthia actually looked rather relaxed and more calmer than she had been. If she hadn't have witnessed that little…exchange between her and Steven earlier, she'd have sworn, that the blonde had rested.

She couldn't help the corner of her lips from curling up at the thought. With Cynthia now being in a better mood, she supposed it was time to make her sentiments known, especially, after being thwarted earlier.

"I think the more important question here Lance is, are you feeling better Cynthia?" She tilted her head slightly in the blonde's direction. "You seem more relaxed and far more…content, shall we say."

At her observations, Cynthia seemed to freeze for a moment, before narrowing her eyes slightly in her direction, in what she suspected, was another warning.

"Yes...thank you for the compliment Diantha," she replied directly, before tilting her head in response. "I'm feeling much better."

She couldn't help but shoot her a warm smile.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. We all need to take some time for ourselves on occasions," she said, before sending the blonde a whisper of a wink. "It's a wondrous thing that; relaxation. I know I feel content, knowing that my colleagues' are happy."

As their gazes remained locked on each other, Diantha couldn't stop her smile from widening, as she gave another little wink. It took a few more seconds; before she could finally see Cynthia's lips twitch slightly into a little smile. It seemed that the blonde had gotten her underlining message; _what a relief._

It was the clearing of a throat; that finally dragged their attention away from each other.

"Right then, since we are all here now, we might as well continue," Lance exclaimed, as he rose from his chair. "The sooner we get through it, the quicker we can all relax."

There was a muttered sound of acceptance, before Lance picked up his notes from the table.

"Right…so as we mentioned before lunch…"

As the noise of Lance's voice wafted through the air, Diantha couldn't stop her thoughts from once again, drifting back towards the couple sat opposite her. As she did, she didn't fail to notice, the quick glances' and shy smile's they exchanged with each other. She couldn't help but give a little inward sigh at the sight; _they really were adorable together._

As if sensing that she was looking at her, Cynthia turned her head in her direction once again, only to send her a wide smile in reassurance. She couldn't help but smile in response. It seemed all had been forgiven.

 _Thank Arceus for that._

* * *

Now that the meetings' were finally over for another few months, Diantha couldn't help but give a little relieved sigh, as she once again stepped off the elevator on the floor where Cynthia's room was. She couldn't help but let a little chuckle escape her at the feeling of déjà vu she had as she turned the corner.

However, unlike last time, Steven wasn't exiting her friend's room, so it seemed; she had a clear chance of reaching her destination this time, at least, she hoped she would, since they'd all parted ways, twenty minutes ago.

They all had congregated for a quiet drink downstairs after their evening meal, (as was a sort of tradition that they had after the meetings,) before deciding to call it a day. Alder had been the first to depart, _well…sort of._ The man had instead, decided to plonk himself at the hotel bar, and had been chatting up; _well…more like attempting to chat up;_ a brunette that had been sitting there when she had departed.

Steven had been next, after his pokegear had rung, which turned out to be his father. Then Lance and Cynthia had both departed, with excuses of their own. So, as she had sat there, finishing off the remainder of her wine alone, she'd made a conscious decision to speak with Cynthia before she retired for the evening. Even though it seemed that the Sinnoh Champion had already forgiven her, albeit non verbally, she still felt the urge to speak with her; in order to clear the air, so to say.

So now, twenty minutes later, this was how she found herself knocking on the Sinnoh Champion's hotel door, awaiting an answer. As she stood there waiting, she couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her, at the brief flashback she had to the last time she did this.

However, this time, when the door finally opened, it was the Sinnoh Champion herself that greeted her; not a half dressed Hoenn one. She didn't know whether to be thankful or disappointed by the notion.

"Diantha?" the blonde questioned, her features contorting from happiness into confusion, at the sight of her standing there.

It was clear to see, she was not the person Cynthia had been expecting. She couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips at her reaction.

"Expecting someone else?" she asked slyly, her eyebrow's knowingly rising upwards.

Cynthia gave a little groan in response.

"Do I really need to answer that?"

Her smirk widened.

"Not really; I think I can take an educated guess," she replied cheekily. "Although, since I've got you alone for five minutes, do you mind if I have a chat?"

Diantha had to hold in her amusement; at the rather weary and sceptical look the Sinnoh Champion was now giving her. She was obviously afraid that she was going to interrogate her about those 'details,' she had teased her about earlier. She couldn't help but release a little inward chuckle; _as much as I'd love to explore those possibilities, those thoughts were for another time._

"Don't worry, nothing teasing I swear, I just want to clear up something with you that's all," she clarified, before giving her a soft smile in reassurance. "May I?" she asked, as she gestured to the inside of the room.

Even though she still looked sceptical, Cynthia gave a weary sigh, before standing aside, allowing her to enter the room, which she hastily accepted.

Once inside, she could hear the door close behind her, as the Sinnoh Champion made her way over to the bed. Once she sat down, she invited her to sit next to her; an invitation that she didn't pass up.

"I know you have sort of forgiven me already, albeit in a non verbal way, but I just want to make one thing clear to you," she began; her fingers interlocking together in her lap, as her gaze remained focussed on Cynthia's; who was, at this very moment, still giving her a rather dubious look. "I just want to reaffirm to you; that despite the teasing that I have put you through, your secret is indeed, safe with me. I'm a woman of my word Cynthia, and I wouldn't want anything to damage the camaraderie we have with each other."

At her words, Cynthia's look softened, before she gave a weary sigh.

"I know Diantha," she softly replied, before running a hand across her forehead, in what she suspected, was exasperation. "I know you will honour your word, I never doubted that, it's just...I got a little worked up about it. It's not like I am used to this kind of teasing." She gave another sigh. "So I apologize for my over-reaction."

Diantha couldn't help but shake her head slightly in bemusement at the blonde's apology. She was the one who should be apologizing and yet… _That's Cynthia, moral to the core._

"Nonsense Cynthia, you have nothing to apologize for, I mean, I was cutting it fine on occasions, but then I've had years of practice, so I'm used to knowing how these situations go, unlike you I suppose."

The blonde gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"I suppose," she weakly replied, before finally gracing her with a small smile. "But the credit should go to Steven really, he was the one who managed to calm me down."

Diantha couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly at the words; _that would probably explain the…little exchange she had witnessed earlier._

"You see, even though he gets easily flustered, as you well know; he's become quite talented on how to…evade situations like that, because he's had plenty of practice in Hoenn; dealing with a certain gym leader."

She couldn't help the amused smile that crossed her lips, as Cynthia emphasised the word 'gym leader.'

"Ah yes, Wallace. I've heard about him," she mused, before giving a little chuckle. "I thought Steven was too good at avoiding me. It seems he has had a lot of practice." A small smirk settled at the corner of her lips. "Although, he didn't quite escape everything, I did catch him out twice this morning mind; once when I came to get you and the second time at breakfast."

She couldn't help but chuckle at the loud groan Cynthia gave at the memories.

"Did you have to remind me?"

She couldn't help but be amused.

"Well…what are friends for Cynthia, if not to embarrass you greatly?"

However, before the Sinnoh Champion could reply in anyway, their banter came to an abrupt close, by the sound of light knocking on the door. Diantha couldn't help but shoot a devious look at the blonde, before she rose from the bed and made her way to the door.

When she finally opened it, it came as no surprise to her, who was standing on the other side. She felt her lips curl up into a smirk.

"Steven," she greeted. "I was expecting it to be you."

The man instantly froze, at the obvious sight of her answering the door. As she took in his features, she couldn't help but be amused, because the expression he was sporting; was one that she was sure a Stantler would have, if it were caught in headlights. However, before the man could potentially flee, she stood aside in the doorway, indicating with her hand for him to enter the room.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving," she said, before glancing back in Cynthia's direction. "Thank you for the chat Cynthia, I'm glad we got everything clarified." As she returned to face the man in the doorway, she noticed that he still hadn't moved. She couldn't help but tilt her head at him. "Steven…if you don't mind?"

At her words, the Hoenn Champion seemed to finally shake himself out of his stupor.

"Oh…right, sorry Diantha," he sheepishly replied, before striding into the room, finally allowing her to exit into the corridor.

However, just before she closed the door behind her, she couldn't help but glance back at them once again, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips.

"And by all means both, have fun!" She winked in their direction, before finally closing the door, as she began heading back down the corridor towards the elevator.

As she did, she couldn't help but give a little chuckle, at the glimpse she'd caught of their flushed cheeks, just as she'd closed the door. _At least they'd be having some_ _fun this evening._

* * *

As she made her way downstairs the following morning, she was actually not surprised to see the Sinnoh Champion already waiting there in the lobby. _She was always so punctual._ What was surprising however, was the lack of luggage surrounding her. _That's interesting._

After making her way to the check out desk, she handed in her room key, before making her way to the Sinnoh Champion. As she came to a stop in front of her, she couldn't help but raise a questionable eyebrow in her direction.

"Not checking out?"

At her question, the blonde gave a shake of her head.

"No, well…not today anyway."

Diantha couldn't stop her eyebrow from rising higher at Cynthia's words _._ However, her intrigue was cut short, when she heard a little cough come from behind her. As she turned, she wasn't surprised in the slightest to see the Hoenn Champion standing there, hands shoved deep into pockets, shifting slightly from one foot to the other; whilst sporting, what could only be described as a sheepish smile.

At the sight, she couldn't help the little amused smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips; _now it made sense._ Judging from his rather nervous disposition, and the lack of any luggage surrounding him as well, it didn't take a genius to figure out why they both weren't leaving today.

"Steven," she greeted, before tilting her head slightly, as she gave the Hoenn Champion a knowing look. "Not checking out either I assume?"

"Uh…no," he answered, before making his way over, in order to stand next to the Sinnoh Champion. As he did, he removed his hands from his pockets, and used one of them, to run across the back of his neck, in what she suspected, was apprehension. "I don't need to return to Hoenn quite yet, so I thought I'd stay for a few more days."

Diantha couldn't help but give a little inward snort at that; _of course you did._ She couldn't help but raise her eyebrow in their direction again.

"Don't you think it's a bit suspicious though; the both of you not checking out?"

They quickly glanced at each other, before unsurprisingly, it was Cynthia that answered, not without giving a little sigh first.

"Whilst that is true Diantha; we thought it'd be best if we did make an appearance this morning, as it would seem far more suspicious if we didn't say goodbye to you and Lance. I mean, it would be considered highly out of character for the both us otherwise."

As she took in the Sinnoh Champion's words, she had to admit, in one sense; they did have a very valid point. They'd all said their farewells to Alder the evening before. With Unova being the man's home, he'd decided to make the most of his lay-in this morning; _probably trying to recover from a hangover,_ she thought with amusement. However, like Cynthia had just said, it would be highly suspicious and well…widely out of character for the both of them, if they hadn't made an appearance this morning, because she knew that Lance would have picked up on it straight away.

"Morning all."

 _Ah…speak of the devil._ As if he knew she was thinking about him, the man in question came to a stop beside her. As he did, she couldn't help but glance in his direction, before a feeling of amusement coursed through her at witnessing his rather perplexed look, as he took in the couple in front of her.

"Are you both not departing today?" Lance questioned, as he had also, obviously picked up on the fact that there was no luggage surrounding the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions'.

Steven gave a little clear of his throat.

"Uh…no…not today anyway," he replied, before shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Apparently, according to Alder, there's a possibility of mining for Emeralds in Driftveil City, so I thought I'd check that out, as I'm not due to be back in Hoenn until Thursday, at the latest."

"Whilst I'm heading for the local library to do a bit of research, as there is a few things I want to learn about the myths surrounding the legendaries of this region," Cynthia cut in, as she pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. "Because who knows when I'll next get the chance to visit Unova, especially, with the League tournament coming up in Sinnoh."

Of course…she'd forgotten that the Sinnoh tournament was coming up. With every region having a different date for their tournaments, it was hard to keep track of when they all were, _heck…she was lucky she even remembered her own, what with her filming schedules._

"Therefore, I can honestly say, my free time will become very limited for a while. So I thought, I'd make the most of the chance while I have it," Cynthia continued, before giving a little shrug of her shoulders.

Diantha had to restrain the urge to snort out loud at her friend's words; _I bet._ Whilst she suspected that what they had both mentioned, might actually be something that they had planned to do; she was quite sure; they weren't the main reasons why they were staying longer.

After hearing this piece of information about the Championship's taking place in Sinnoh soon, she had no doubt, that Cynthia's time would be restricted for a while, therefore meaning, her and Steven wouldn't be able to see each other while the tournament was ongoing; because the event was a world-wide spectacle, and if they wanted to keep their relationship a secret, then Steven needed to stay away, because even a glimpse of him in Sinnoh during the event, would send the rumour mill into overdrive.

She couldn't help but give a little inward sigh at the thought; _no wonder why the couple had made excuses in order to stay for a few more days._

It was Lance's voice; that seemed to bring her out of her musings.

"Ah yes, the Sinnoh Championships…I always seem to forget sometimes, that our tournaments' don't coincide with each other."

Diantha couldn't help but give another inward snort at that; _at least she wasn't the only one; that was a relief._

"Well in one sense it's a good thing I suppose, because one at a time is a spectacle, could you imagine all of the regions' at once?" Cynthia pointed out, giving a little shudder for effect.

"You're not wrong," Lance replied, giving a little shake of his head. "Arceus knows what chaos that'll bring if they were," he continued, before giving a little chuckle. "Well, if you will excuse me for a moment, I better go and check out. I wouldn't want a fine for being late." With that, the joint region Champion turned and headed for the reception desk, his trademark cape flapping behind him.

As Lance departed, Diantha couldn't help but take in the couple before her once again.

"Excavating and researching huh?" she asked, her lips curling slightly, as she raised a knowing eyebrow in their direction. "Bit convenient that isn't it? Although, it sure has given you a wonderful cover."

Cynthia gave a weary sigh.

"Diantha…"

"Not that I blame the both of you mind, if I'd have been in your situation, I would have done exactly the same," she interrupted, before moving slightly closer to them, her voice lowering an octave in the process. "In all seriousness though, despite all the embarrassment that I've put you through recently, I hope you both know, that I am beyond thrilled for you." She couldn't help give them a warm smile. "And believe me when I say, your secret is safe with me, until the time you decide to go public with it."

As she stepped back slightly, she caught them sharing a quick glance, before they averted their attention back to her, both smiling warmly in response.

"Thank you Diantha." Cynthia replied, her smile widening in the process. "We both appreciate it."

As she trailed off, Diantha was almost caught off guard, when the blonde instantly pulled her into a spontaneous hug. She couldn't help the feeling of bewilderment that coursed through her at the action. Usually, Cynthia wasn't this bold or affectionate, especially in public; but it seemed her relationship with Steven, had softened her up a bit. She couldn't help the fond smile that settled across her lips at the thought; _they were definitely good for each other._

As Cynthia retracted her arms from around her, she glanced towards the Hoenn man, who stood there, still smiling, as he held out his hand towards her. She couldn't help but smirk slightly as she enclosed her hand in his, before yanking slightly on said hand, in order to pull him into a little hug.

Diantha could feel him immediately stiffen at the contact. She'd clearly taken him by surprise, and if the little titter that came from the woman beside her was anything to go by, she was quite sure, his face was probably bright red by now. She couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"I know you don't really like public display's of affection from other people, but it only seems fair that I get to hug both of you. I mean, I owe you as much."

It took a few more seconds, before Steven's arms came around her to return the hug. She had a feeling; it wasn't just her words that made him reciprocate it. If she had to guess, (even though she couldn't see her,) she was quite sure; Cynthia must have encouraged him. She couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought; _the man was so whipped for the Sinnoh Champion._

"A hug? Well aren't you honoured Steven."

It was the sound of Lance's voice returning; that finally broke them apart. As they did, she could clearly see the slight flush that had spread over the Hoenn Champion's cheeks.

"She ambushed me," Steven humorously replied, as he ran a hand through his tousled locks, before a little amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I didn't have a chance to escape in time."

There was a collective chuckle from them all, as Lance patted him on the shoulder in comfort.

"I sympathize with you."

Diantha couldn't help but shoot the joint region Champion a smug look.

"Oh don't worry Lance, you will be sympathizing with him alright, because I'm saving yours for the airport." Her smugness grew, at the pure look of aghast that flashed across his face at her words, one, that didn't go unnoticed by the couple in front of her either, as they both gave a hearty laugh.

"Perhaps I should be sympathizing with you instead Lance," Steven chuckled.

She couldn't help but give a highly exaggerated sigh.

"Men…honestly…" She folded her arms, as she flamboyantly swung her head back slightly, like someone would do in a hair commercial. "You should be honoured to receive a hug from a famous film star, not many get that privilege, believe me."

Her words had the intended effect she was after, as another collective chuckle came from within the group, before Lance held his hands up in surrender.

"Very well, you've made your point, I shall await it with bated breath," he teased in response, as he lowered his arms, before giving a little cough, to clear away his amusement. "Speaking of…" Lance announced, as he reached his hand out towards the Hoenn Champion. "I think this is where we say goodbye, for now anyway."

"Indeed, it seems that way," Steven responded, giving the man a firm handshake in response, before releasing his hand; so the joint Champion could shake Cynthia's hand, that had extended out towards him.

Diantha couldn't help the amusement that shot through her, at the pair's rather professional goodbye. _At least she'd gotten a more personal one._

"Take care Lance," Cynthia politely replied, before averting her attention towards her once again. "You too Diantha."

She couldn't help but send the Sinnoh Champion a warm smile in response.

"Of course, but more importantly, take care of yourself, and do keep in touch." She couldn't help but point at the couple in front of her. "That goes for the both of you mind, because I'd hate to be the last to know anything." With that, she lowered her hand, in order to grab the handle of her case. "Oh…and good luck with the tournament Cynthia. Of course, I will be rooting for you."

"Indeed," Lance chimed in, as a genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I will be watching with rapt interest."

"As will we all Lance, I'm sure," she positively concurred, as she could see the Hoenn Champion give a nod in agreement.

Cynthia shot them all a wide smile in response.

"Thank you all, your kind words mean a lot to me," she graciously replied, as she pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear, before a smug smile settled across her lips. "And believe me when I say, I have every intention of winning."

"That's the spirit," Lance chuckled, before picking up his suitcase. "I would expect nothing less," he continued, before turning to face her. "Well…on that note; duty calls." He raised his arm towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Diantha couldn't help but shoot him a little smile in response.

"Of course," she warmly replied, before turning to face the couple once again. "Goodbye for now my friends; don't be strangers." She gave a little nod towards the man stood aside of her, one of which he returned. "Farewell both." With that, both she and the joint Champion turned, as they strode side by side towards the exit.

As they did, her thoughts couldn't help but linger on the couple still standing behind them in the lobby. It had been quite an extraordinary weekend for her, something of which, she was going to miss greatly, especially the teasing and the amusement it had brought her. One might call her a sadist, for being highly amused by both Steven and Cynthia's mortification, but honestly, teasing them had been a lot of fun. For her, it was just a shame it had to come to an end for now, especially, since she still had so much more ammunition.

She couldn't help but pause at the thought; _hang on a minute…_ There was no way she could just leave without getting one last jibe in; _because Arceus' knows how long it'll be before I can do it again…in person anyway._

"Diantha?"

It was Lance's concerned voice that seemed to get her to focus once more. She didn't even need to see his face, in order to know he was slightly confused by her rather sudden stillness. _Damn…_ In no way did she want to arouse Lance's suspicions about the pair behind them, but there was no way she could just leave without teasing them once more.

So, with that in mind, she locked gazes with the man, before a little smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm fine Lance, sorry, it's just…I forget to mention something to Cynthia." She signalled for Lance to continue on. "You carry on, I'll catch you up."

The man gave her a questioning glance, before finally conceding; giving her a nod in the process, as he exited through the main doors.

As he did, Diantha couldn't help the little smirk that began to make its way across her lips, as she turned to face the couple once more. It was no surprise, that they looked just as confused as Lance had been by her sudden behaviour.

"Before I go, I almost forgot…those details I mentioned to you yesterday Cynthia?" She tilted her head slightly, as her smirk grew; _poor souls, they had no clue._ "I hope you know that the next time we meet, I will be expecting to hear the answers to them…no excuses."

As she took in the sight of the couple, she had to restrain the urge to burst into laughter, at the furious blush that encompassed the Sinnoh Champion's features, and at the rather confused and alarmed glance Steven shot her in response, at seeing the obvious mortification on his girlfriend's face.

 _Fabulous,_ she thought; _what a way to depart._ She loved a memorable exit; she was an actress after all. _It's_ _just a shame I don't have a camera to hand, because their expressions are priceless._ The memory of this moment would fuel her amusement for many a night to come. _Maybe I am a sadist?_ she thought. But honestly, as of this moment, she really didn't care.

When it seemed a response was not forthcoming from either of them, she couldn't help but shoot them a little wink.

"In due time my friends, in due time…but by all means, have fun!" And with that parting shot, she gave them a little wave, before turning and finally making her way out of the building; her smirk widening as she did.

She knew there would be hell to pay at a later date, (not just for that comment;) but as of this very moment, she didn't mind in the slightest.

 _So worth it._

* * *

Diantha couldn't help but give a little sigh, as she stared at the hotel one last time through the window, as the taxi began to depart from the main entrance. It had been quite a weekend, once of which, she'd never have envisioned having, when she'd arrived on Saturday.

She couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle, as she remembered the rather…surprising way her Sunday morning had started. Finding out that two of her colleagues, (one of them being her closest female friend,) had been seeing each other for over eight months, had definitely been bewildering.

Of course, then came the teasing…she couldn't help the little smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips at her memories; _that had been well worth the surprise._

"Diantha?"

It was the call of her name; that unfortunately (in her opinion) brought her out of her amusement.

"Yes Lance?" she replied, as she turned to face the man sat next to her.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

At his words, Diantha couldn't help but raise a questionable eyebrow in his direction.

"With regards to what exactly?" she responded, a tad bit confused by the man's direct question.

However, her confusion on the matter completely evaporated seconds later, when Lance nodded back in the direction of the hotel that they had just departed from.

"With regards to Cynthia and Steven…" he stated, before tilting his head slightly, his steady gaze boring into her. "Because it hasn't slipped my attention this weekend, that you have been more…suggestive with your comments towards them both; almost with the direct intention of embarrassing them." His lips curled up in one corner slightly. "So I repeat…is there something I should know?"

She couldn't help but blink slightly, as she took in the questioning gaze of the man sat beside her. In one sense, she couldn't help but admire his observance. It seemed; she'd been right with her assumptions all along.

Unlike Alder, who seemed to be oblivious to most things, Lance was a completely different story. In fact, (if she was honest with herself,) he was the one she was most afraid of, who would find out about their secret. She suspected, Cynthia and Steven were of the same opinion, and this was exactly why; she had tried to keep the teasing to a minimum when he was around.

 _Okay, she could admit there had been a few slips, but still…_ Problem now was, she had to deflect his attention somehow, because in no way was she going to break her promise.

"Oh Lance, you're over-thinking things. I like to tease everyone now and again, them being no different. I mean; no harm ever came from a little teasing right?" She waved one of her hands around in a circle. "Besides, they both needed to loosen up a bit, as they are both so uptight normally, so I thought, it was about time they relaxed." She couldn't help but lean towards him, her voice dropping lower. "Because you know Lance, if you would rather me tease you…"

Diantha couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her, as she caught the brief look of horror that flashed across the joint Champion's face at her suggestion.

"Uh…that's quite alright Diantha," he replied hastily, shuffling slightly in his seat, in what she suspected was uneasiness, before his gaze returned forward once more. "I'm quite sure that that's, something I could happily live without."

 _Wasn't that the truth?_ Thankfully, her suggestive remarks seemed to have ended the topic of discussion. She couldn't help but release a little relieved sigh internally; _dodged a bullet there, for now at least._ It was a good job she was an actress and used to improvising, because that conversation; could have gone a lot worse.

Although, she couldn't help but think, that even though she had deflected Lance's curiosity for now, she was quite sure; that the joint Kanto and Johto Champion, had his own suspicions about Cynthia and Steven; _their short conversation just proved that._ But then again, even if he was fishing for confirmation, she had made a promise to the both of them; that it wasn't her place to reveal their secret; that was their decision and theirs alone, and she was a woman of her word.

Diantha couldn't help but give a little content sigh, as her gaze returned to stare out of the window at the passing scenery. It had been quite a weekend, one of which, she'd have a hard time topping for quite a while. _Although; maybe I could invent some sort of important meeting of some kind for Champions? Or maybe, I could arrange a surprise visit to Sinnoh at some point?_

Her lips curled upwards at the thought; _well…she did want those answers after all._

* * *

 _ **And cut...**_

 **See...didn't I say, blame Diantha?**

 **I had fun writing this. I always envisioned Diantha to be like this, I mean, like she said, what are friend's for?**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Until next time! Keep those requests coming!**


	31. Picking Up Your Stuff

**Hello everyone!**

 **Yes, I am still with you all. I'd like to apologize for my absence, but a lot has been going on, but I won't bore you with the details.**

 **So...**

 **This story I have for you today was actually a request from a guest- whoever you are- thank you for the request because it has sparked this little gem of a story. Basically, the request was:**

 ** _a chapter where Steven and Cynthia are arguing._**  
 ** _Cynthia: Just pick up your stuff and leave_**  
 ** _*Steven picks Cynthia up*_**

 **So, as requested, here is my rendition of this request. It is a stand alone, although, I suppose you could potentially put it into the same timelines of some of the others, that's entirely up to you guys.**

 **Story is told from Cynthia's POV, and her thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Rating this a T, as there are a few suggestive things mentioned, nothing too explicit, but just to be safe.**

 **Anyway...see you at the end.**

* * *

 _It seemed that today, was just one of those days._

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little weary sigh; as she trudged her way back up the stairs towards her room; _well…old room;_ in the Sinnoh League Headquarters.

At the present moment, she…or rather, both her and Steven, were currently residing in her old room while their house was currently undergoing renovation. All of their stuff had already gone into storage, apart from the essentials of course, but as for themselves, they'd opted to use her previous residence until the renovation was complete.

 _Well…to be fair, it had been my brilliant idea to use my old room in the league headquarters_. Even though Steven had been happy enough to pay for them stay in a hotel, she'd argued that her previous accommodation would be much more suffice, as it was still technically available to her, what with her being Champion and all, so why not use it? Plus, it was more cost effective too.

Of course she'd had to run the idea by her colleagues' first, as technically, Steven wasn't really allowed to enter the headquarters, let alone stay there for a prolonged period of time after all.

Thankfully, despite what constituted as protocol, the Elite Four members' had all been very obliging, (some more than others,) in allowing both her and Steven to stay. Of course it had helped, that her colleagues' all liked Steven; _but then again…who didn't?_ The man oozed charisma and charm, so in the end, winning over her fellow league members' had not been much of a challenge.

So, with the upmost discretion in mind, they'd temporarily moved into her old room. She couldn't deny it had been rather unusual at first, to be once again staying in this room for a prolonged period of time, especially now, since the space was divided between her and Steven.

However, despite that, they'd settled in with relative ease _; as if this was our permanent residence._ She couldn't help but shake her head slightly at the thought; _that was going a little too far._ As much as she loved her colleagues, honestly, she couldn't wait to move back out.

After living in a house with just Steven and their pokemon for company for the past two years, she'd forgotten what it was like to share an accommodation with others. To be fair; Bertha, Lucian and Aaron were no bother…but then there was Flint. She couldn't help but release a little groan at the thought of the man in question.

Ever since both her and Steven had moved in, the fire specialist it seemed, had made it a mission of his, to try and embarrass her (and Steven to some extent) greatly, with insinuations and sly comments, with regards to matters that weren't innocent in the slightest.

However, thankfully, both she and Steven had managed to brush aside his teasing by simply ignoring him. _Okay, okay…_ if she was really honest with herself, there had been a…couple of moments, when she'd been tempted to set Garchomp on him; _today being one of them._ However, to save her sanity, she'd restrained, because if there was one thing that Flint thrived on, it was retaliation.

Aside from that annoyance, the past five weeks had passed by smoothly; _well…up until today that is_. Cynthia couldn't help but release another heavy sigh; _it had turned out that today, was just one of those days._ Nothing seemed to want to go right and despite her best efforts, every little thing just seemed to increase her annoyance.

She should have guessed a day like this was bound to happen at some point, but what made it worse, was that it was still only early evening, the day was still far from over yet. Usually, after these sorts of days, she'd have a nice long soak in the bath and go to bed. However, due to current circumstances, that wasn't possible, as her room's en-suite only had a shower. She couldn't help but release a little internal growl at the thought; _fabulous._

As she finally made it to her room, she entered, only to find Steven lying flat out on the bed, book in hand. She couldn't help the prick of annoyance that stabbed at her at seeing this, before shaking her head slightly to rid herself of such thoughts. It was highly ridiculous to feel annoyed at him; it wasn't his fault that he'd had a day off today.

At the sound of her entering however, Steven's head rose from the book, as he shot her a wide grin, before closing said book and placing it on the bed, as he stood.

"Evening love," he cheerfully greeted her. "How was your day?"

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little snort at his question; _where do I start?_ She was quite surprised that that thought hadn't slipped out, considering the mood she was in.

"That bad huh?" Steven replied, as his face contorted into sympathy.

She couldn't help but give an inward chuckle at his expression. Even though she hadn't said a word, he'd still picked up on her mood; _I should have guessed._ The man was nothing if not observant, but then again, they'd been a couple for three years, so he was probably an expert on picking up on her moods now.

"You could say that," she replied, as she finally closed the door, before moving further into the room.

"Would you like me to get you anything?"

She shook her head at his question, before making her way towards the bed, so she could sit down and remove her shoes.

"No, it's okay," she softly replied, before brushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. "I think I'd like to have a nice hot shower and then just curl up with a good boo…"

However, her sentence was immediately cut off, when she felt her feet collide with something on the floor. It was a good job she had fast reflexes and that she was thankfully, pretty steady on her feet, because she was quite sure, she'd have gone crashing to the floor otherwise.

Once steady on her feet, she glanced down at the offending object… _or rather; objects._ What she encountered there however; didn't surprise her in the slightest. She couldn't help the feeling of annoyance that bubbled up inside her again, as she stared at the offending items…Steven's shoes.

Despite Steven's rather immaculate appearance and his modest upbringing, he still had a few habits that he was unable to break out of it seemed, one of those being; leaving his shoes laying around in locations for her to easily trip over them. Even though she knew it wasn't intentional, she still couldn't figure out why he did it. _I suppose that's part of being human._

This wasn't exactly the first time she'd fallen over them, and on any other day, she would of rolled her eyes and berated him yet again, on putting them somewhere where she couldn't fall over them. However today, with the mood she was in, she couldn't restrain herself from snapping at him.

"Steven! How many times do I have to tell you about leaving your shoes in a place where I can trip over them!" she exclaimed, her eyes narrowing slightly, before kicking one of his shoes in anger. "In fact, why don't you just pick up all your stuff and leave!"

The sound of silence met her.

Cynthia couldn't help but curse inwardly, as she took in his rather surprised expression, at her rather abrupt outburst. Of course she didn't mean to snap at him, but no matter how hard she tried today, her annoyance just got the better of her; _although, that's no excuse to take it out on him._

She couldn't help but release a weary sigh, before running a hand over her forehead in exasperation. She needed to apologize to him.

"Steven…"

However, before she could get any more of her words out, the man in question walked towards her, before coming to an abrupt stop inches from her. She had to tilt her head up, in order to meet his gaze.

"Well…if you insist dear," he stated, before his expression instantly changed, as a little smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Cynthia couldn't help the confusion that overcame her, as she took in his rather sudden, devious expression. However, it didn't last for long though because, before she even had a chance to form any kind words to question him, her whole world tilted upside down, when she found herself being hoisted upwards, before literally, being slung over his left shoulder.

"Steven!" she cried out in surprise. "What in Arceus' sake are you doing, put me down this instant!"

However, despite her obvious irritation, the man completely ignored her as he turned sharply, before striding towards the door and opening it.

"Steven! I demand you put me down this instant!"

Once again, her protests went completely ignored, as the man stepped through the doorway, before turning and heading in the direction of the headquarters' main staircase.

Cynthia couldn't help the little growl that escaped her, as she tried to wriggle out of his hold. However, unfortunately for her, he had a rather tight hold on her, making her chances of escape pointless. She didn't know why she seemed so surprised by this outcome, because she should have known better. The man tended to wield heavy mining equipment on a daily basis, so carrying her like this, was probably no bother to him whatsoever. _Curses…_

She couldn't help but growl again; but before she could voice her frustrations, they came to a sudden stop. She assumed that they'd finally reached the staircase.

"Steven…don't you dare!"

However, she didn't know why she'd even bothered to say anything, because the man simply adjusted his grip slightly, before beginning their descent downwards.

As they did, Cynthia couldn't help but grimace at the uncomfortable sensation each step brought her. It almost felt like she was climbing over a rocky cliff on her stomach. It was a good job she didn't suffer with motion sickness, because that could have been embarrassing in so many ways.

To think, early on in their relationship, he wouldn't have had the audacity to even dream about doing this, let alone put it into practice. But yet, here they were, three year's later… She couldn't help but dwell on how their relationship had progressed. _Where had that shy, mild mannered and reserved man that she had met four year's ago gone?_ She couldn't help but give a little inward snort at the thought.

To be fair, thinking about it, it wasn't only him that had changed, because there was no chance in hell, she would have allowed a man to do this to her three year's ago, without said man receiving some sort of severe bodily harm for attempting too. She couldn't help but release another inward snort at the thought; _it seems our time together, has indeed changed us._

Her musings were instantly brought to a grounding halt, when thankfully; the uncomfortable feeling came to an end, when Steven finally made it to the bottom. Cynthia couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. Never again did she want to have to suffer that sensation. It was a good job she hadn't had a big lunch, because she was quite sure, it might have made a re-appearance.

Now that they were on even ground once again, she thought she'd make another valiant attempt to get him to put her down.

"Steven…put me down…I mean it…right now!"

Despite being stuck in this position now for more than five minutes, and having to go through the rather turbulent descent down a rather hefty staircase, the man had the audacity to still completely ignore her, as he adjusted his hold on her, before he began walking once again.

Cynthia couldn't help but release another growl. _Honestly, does this man not realize how much danger he is in?_ She hadn't been in the best of moods all day, but this, just made it a hundred times worse. As far as she was concerned, he had just added more fuel to the fire. She couldn't help but give a heavy sigh; _I don't think this could get any more humiliating._

Seconds later though, she instantly regretted that thought, when she picked up on the tell tale sounds of another set of footsteps approaching them; a set of footsteps, she knew all too well, as she was used to hearing them on a daily basis. _Oh hell no…_

Her worst fears were confirmed when Steven came to a sudden stop, before finally addressing the person, who had also come to grounding halt.

"Good evening Bertha," Steven greeted her pleasantly, almost as if it was an ordinary evening; completely disregarding the fact; that she currently sprawled over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"Good evening Steven," she could hear the elder woman reply.

Unfortunately for her, the angle in which she was positioned in; didn't permit her to see Bertha, but then again, she really didn't need to, because judging by her tone of voice, she could almost envisage her bemused expression, at seeing her sprawled over Steven's shoulder.

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little weary sigh. No doubt the elder was valiantly trying to hold in her amusement at the situation; and she just knew that Bertha would use this scenario as ammunition, in order to tease her mercifully at a later date. She couldn't help but cringe at the thought; _oh joy._

Although, thinking about it rationally, on the positive side, at least none of the other Elite Four members' was witnessing this; otherwise, that could have been extremely mortifying; _as if it wasn't embarrassing enough already._ However,Bertha she could deal with, but the others? She could almost imagine their reactions to this scenario now; especially Flint's. The fire expert would have had a field day.

She couldn't help but release a little internal shudder at the thought. Thankfully for her, the man in question was no-where in the vicinity of the headquarters this evening, as he'd mentioned in passing earlier; that he was spending the evening with Volkner in Sunyshore. Cynthia couldn't help but release a little relieved sigh at that knowledge; _thank Arceus for small miracles._

However, despite that, she still felt the need to end this debacle now, and even though she felt highly reluctant to ask for help; under the present circumstances, it seemed she had no other option.

"Bertha! For Arceus' sake help me out here!" she exclaimed, with the earnest hope that the elder would take pity on her.

However, much to her dismay, the Elite Four member seemed to completely ignore her, as she continued to converse with the aggravating man underneath her.

"Well…I can see you are…extremely busy at the moment Steven, so please, don't let me detain you any longer."

From her still prone position, Cynthia could feel Steven straighten slightly, as he tilted his head in a sort of acceptance.

"Thank you Bertha. Have a good evening," he replied, before turning and once again, continuing onwards.

As they did, Cynthia couldn't help but raise her head slightly, in order to try and catch a glimpse of her fellow colleague. Once she did, her assumptions were proved correct, when she caught sight of the elder's rather amused expression. _Yep, thought so._

As their eyes' finally connected, she couldn't help but shoot Bertha a sharp glare. However, it seemed to have zero effect on her as the elder, had the audacity to give her a wink; followed by little wave, before turning and heading off in the opposite direction to which they were heading in.

Cynthia couldn't help but give an annoyed huff; _traitor._ Although, she did make a mental note, to try and get some sort of revenge on Bertha for this little indiscretion of hers at some point; _preferably, when she least expects it._ She couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought; _that's going to be fun, because let's face it_ , _revenge is indeed, sweet._

However, her devious thoughts on the matter were brought to a grounding halt, when the man below her came to another sudden stop. At first, she was slightly confused by his actions, until seconds later, she heard the tell tale sounds of a handle being grabbed and a door opening; then she understood perfectly. _Oh hell no. He couldn't be taking me outside like this surely?_

Her internal question was immediately answered, when she could feel a light breeze brush her skin, before Steven strode out into the evening sunlight.

 _Okay that does it;_ she thought. It was one thing to carry her like this through the Sinnoh headquarters where the witnesses were scarce, but to continue this outdoors where the public could witness them; _or worse…the paparazzi…_ She couldn't help but cringe at the mental image; _that's all she needed, her backside spread over a front page of a tabloid._ Never mind Flint, she'd never be able to show her face in public again.

With that rather horrible thought in mind, Cynthia took in a sharp breath, before finally releasing her frustrations.

"Steven…I swear to Arceus, if you don't put me down this instant, I will make it a mission to damage you in a way; that you won't be able to father any future children we may decide to have!"

Amazingly, her threat seemed to get through to him, as the man instantly stiffened underneath her, before coming to a rather abrupt stop. _Huh;_ she thought _; why didn't I think of using that before?_ She made a mental note to keep that threat in mind for any…potential disagreements they had in the future, because it seemed to work like a charm.

It took a few more seconds, before she finally became vertical once more, as he shifted her off his shoulder, so that she now stood in front of him, his arms slipping to rest loosely around her waist.

Once she finally felt her feet touch the floor, she couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh, before gripping onto his arms that were supporting her, as the violent sensation of blood rushing from her head back into the rest of her body engulfed her. Despite being highly annoyed with him, she was thankful he was there to support her; because she was quite sure, she might have collapsed otherwise. _Wouldn't that have been embarrassing?_

When the rather unpleasant feeling began to subside and she could focus once again, she narrowed her eyes slightly, before mentally preparing herself to give him a good scolding for his actions.

However, her will instantly vanished when she encountered his rather…glum expression.

"Well that's a little harsh Cynthia…even for you mind," he replied, sounding almost dejected as his facial features contorted further into a pout, his eyes widening, as he pierced her with a crestfallen stare. "I can't even fathom you wanting to do that to me." With that, his head drooped lower, as his gaze lowered to the floor, like a remorseful child.

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little internal sigh at his rather crestfallen expression. Even though her day hadn't been the best and yes, having been carried upside down and potentially embarrassed greatly in front of a fellow colleague, hadn't helped in the grand scheme of things to improve her mood; that still didn't excuse her, for taking out her frustrations on the man in front of her. The man was nothing short of wonderful to her and yet, she was threatening serious bodily harm on him for one little incident.

She couldn't help but release another internal sigh, as some of the tension inside her began to ease. There was no way she could stay mad at him, not now, not when he looked like a pouting child. Although, she had to hand it to the man; he knew how to pull on her heartstrings, which (if she was truly honest with herself) was actually, a very appealing quality of his, even though it played havoc with her emotions; _damn man and his charms._

Cynthia couldn't help but release an outward sigh this time, her features softening.

"Steven…you know I didn't mean it," she finally apologized, as she ran her hands over his arms (that she was still clinging to ever since she'd become vertical) in comfort. "I'm sorry…I'm just not having a good day that's all."

"I guessed that part," he muttered in response, although his gaze remained cast downwards.

She couldn't help but release another weary sigh, as she squeezed his forearms.

"Yet despite you saying you know this, you still thought it would be wise to provoke me even more, by carrying me outside like a caveman would?"

"But you see love; that's exactly what you asked me do, don't you remember?" he replied, before raising his gaze back to hers.

As their eyes connected, Cynthia couldn't help but take in a sharp breath as his gaze bored into hers. She wasn't above admitting, that she was mesmerized by the strong emotions that were swirling within them. It almost felt like she was drowning into an endless sea of blue. _Those blue orbs' of his are lethal;_ and the most annoying thing about it, was that the man knew it. _Damn man and his charms._

She gave a little shake of her head in order to clear away those thoughts, before finally furrowing her brows in confusion. _Now wasn't the time for distractions._

"I certainly do not remember suggesting anything of the sort. I think I would remember something like that Steven."

She could see him tilt his head slightly.

"Well you see, that is where you are wrong my dear, because I distinctly remember you telling me to pick up my stuff and leave…"

As he trailed off, Cynthia had to take in another deep breath, as the crestfallen expression he'd been sporting, quickly morphed into something far warmer and dare she say; sexier, as a smug smile began to settle across his lips, whilst his arms tightened around her.

"And that my dear…is exactly what I did."

Before she even had a chance to reply, he'd pulled her closer towards him, whilst leaning in, in order to hastily press his lips against hers. It was a good job he'd been holding onto her, because she was quite sure, she would have collapsed to the floor otherwise.

It took a few moments for her to finally regain some equilibrium, but by that point, she'd already resigned herself to his affections, as her hands automatically slid up to lock behind his head, before pulling him closer towards her, as she finally gave into his passion. _Well…if you can't beat someone, you might as well join them._

Cynthia partially blamed her surrender on the fact that she was still slightly disorientated, from being hung upside down for a pro-longed period of time. However, in the end, she knew that was just an excuse really. She was never someone who liked to admit defeat or make excuses, and besides, even if she did, she'd be making a whole lot of them, because honestly, there was no way she could resist this man; _not that he will know that, because that would just inflate his ego even more._

Not that Steven had an over-inflated ego, far from it. In fact, he was the most humble and modest man she had ever met, however, if he ended up knowing the extent of how much power he actually had over her, the man would be insatiable; _as if he wasn't already._ The man could literally charm his way out of anything; and the most irksome part; was that he knew it too; _but then again, I'm so not complaining._

It was a few more blissful moments, before they finally drew apart. As they did, Cynthia had to seriously resist the temptation to kiss him again; _there's something I need to clarify with him first._

"By the way Steven…your stuff?" She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him. "Really now?"

Despite her accusing tone, Steven gave a little shrug of his shoulders, before sending her a rather charming smile.

"Well…yes," he began, before bringing her left hand (that had still been locked around his neck) into full view between them. "You see this platinum band here…" he trailed off, as he indicated to the ring that sat snugly on her finger. "This kind of does symbolize that you are mine."

Her eyebrow rose slightly higher at his words, as a little smile started to curl up in the corner of her lips. _Well…he did have a valid point._

"Steven…"

Although, it seemed he'd paid no attention to her, as he ploughed on ahead.

"Moreover, your surname is the same as mine now; plus, I do recall us both being sober and in the right frame of mind when we signed our marriage licence."

"Steven…"

"Although, if you're unsure, I could ring the registry office now and ask them to just clarify that for you if you'd like?"

She couldn't help but release a little amused sigh, as she removed her left hand from his; before snaking it back behind his neck and then giving him a sharp yank forward, in order to place her mouth over his in order to get him to stop. _He has far better uses for that mouth of his than talking._

"You see mmmppphh…"

It seemed to do the trick, as the man finally ceased talking, as his right hand rejoined its mate on her waist, before she felt herself being hauled up tightly against his chest again, as his mouth finally reciprocated her movements. _Finally…_

She could almost feel the remaining tension that had been present within her all day seep away, as she lost herself in the feelings he provoked within her.

"Okay Mr Smartass…I get it," she chuckled breathlessly as she pulled away, before running her left hand through his smooth, silvery blue locks. "Although, remind me again why I agreed to such a thing?"

A smug smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

"Why…for my good looks and charm of course."

She couldn't help but release another amused chuckle, before raising a questioning eyebrow at him again; she wasn't going to let him win her over that easily.

"Anything else?"

His smirk seemed to grow slightly _._

"Well…I am rich and also heir to a massive, thriving Company, so that helped…" he trailed off, as his head tilted slightly in thought. "Plus, I'm also a fantastic kisser and…really good in bed."

Cynthia couldn't help but burst into laughter at that. She had to hand it to him; he knew how to get her to laugh. Although, what amused her even more greatly about this, was how bolder he'd become with her. She knew without a shadow of a doubt, that'd he'd never have been able to have said that last phrase, without dying of embarrassment three year's ago.

She couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at the thought; she'd been right with her original assessment from earlier; _we definitely have come a long way._

"Hmm…whilst I admit that those are some very…appealing and redeeming qualities, I'm sure there was a more notable reason for why I agreed?"

At her question, his smirk seemed to relax into a loving smile.

"Well…you're not wrong," he softly replied, leaning forward slightly, in order to rest his forehead against hers. "If I recall, there is that one thing, or rather, one emotion, that sort of clinched it."

She couldn't help the loving smile that settled across her lips.

"Hmm…and what would that be exactly?"

"I think you know my love."

She couldn't help but tilt her head up slightly.

"Yes…I think I do," she whispered, before once again, closing the remaining distance between their lips. _Oh yes...I know it all right._

As she lost herself to him once again, she couldn't help but think how amusing this whole thing was to her; because who'd have thought that her; Cynthia, the indomitable Champion of Sinnoh, would end up succumbing to a man, and not just any man either.

If someone had of mentioned to her four year's ago when she'd first become Champion; that she'd eventually find herself happily married to the silver-haired dreamboat; (ex-) Hoenn Champion and heir to the Devon Co-operation himself, she would have called them insane.

But yet…four years later, here she was, deeply in love and happily married to said man. No doubt somewhere, fate was laughing hysterically. She couldn't help but smile against his lips at the thought; _like I give a damn now, I'm far too happy to care._

A few moments later, it was Steven who finally pulled away, not without pressing a kiss against her forehead for good measure, before leaning back slightly and locking eyes with hers.

"That reminds me, I've got some good news for you."

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him questionably, at the change of topic.

"Oh?"

"Indeed," he began, a wide smile stretching across his lips, as he gave a little nod. "What I was going to tell you earlier, before your little outburst, was that I went to the house today, and you'll be pleased to know that it is more or less finished. In fact, according to the construction crew, all we have to wait for is the paint to dry, then we can start moving our stuff back in."

Cynthia couldn't help the wide smile that overcame her too, one of which she was sure, matched the size of his.

"Finally, some good news at last."

She couldn't stop the immense feelings' of elation and excitement that overcame her upon hearing this piece of news; _as if I'd want to anyway._ Since their wedding, they hadn't really spent anytime in their new home, but with the refurbishment now complete, they could finally settle into their married life.

Steven gave a little chuckle at her obvious exuberance.

"So…I take it you are no longer in a bad mood?"

She leant up to give him a peck on the cheek.

"No…I can safely say I am no longer in a bad mood," she replied. "Thank you Steven."

He couldn't help but grin back at her.

"Thank Arceus," he chuckled, before tilting his head slightly in thought once again. "Does this now mean I can take my stuff back inside?"

Cynthia couldn't help but give a little chuckle in response, before giving a little shake of her head in amusement.

"Of course…" she began, trailing off as she caught sight of the rather devious expression that overcame him, as a matching smirk spread across his lips at her words. She couldn't help but swallow slightly, before finally connecting the dots on what his expression meant. "Wait...Steven…don't you dare…"

But it was too late.

For Cynthia, the world instantly turned upside down, as she found herself once again staring at the floor; helplessly slung over Steven's shoulder, as he began making his way back into the building.

 _Here we go again._

Although this time, she couldn't help but give an amused sigh at his antics. In one respect, she actually felt quite honoured to witness this side of her husband, because as far as she knew, no one else was privy to this side of him. That wasn't to say he wasn't fun to be around, far from it, but it was a seldom occurrence for Steven's playful side to make an appearance, so she cherished these moments, when he threw caution to the wind and let his child like charm take over, as they were few and far between.

Truthfully, she supposed in one sense, Steven could say the same thing about her, because only with him, (and on the odd occasion with her sister and grandmother,) could she be as open and carefree as he was being now.

However, thinking about it logically, there was a very good explanation for why this was the case. With the lifestyles' they both led on a daily basis; they had to be the optimum of propriety, as their professions demanded it. So their chances of being this open and carefree were a rarity, especially, out in public.

Cynthia couldn't help but release a little content sigh, as she pushed those deep thoughts to the back of her mind, before refocusing back on her current predicament.

She had to admit, despite the rather uncomfortable feeling and awkwardness being carried like this brought her, she had discovered; that there was one positive advantage of being in this particular position; and that was due to the rather fantastic view she had of Steven's backside in those tight trousers, he had a preference for wearing on a daily basis. A wide smile settled across her lips at the thought.

The first time he'd done this, she'd been so un-amused with him; she'd failed to take into consideration the benefits that this position gave her. However now, free from tension; she was very aware of what she'd been missing and quite frankly, it was hard to resist the temptation not to stare; _like I'd want to resist anyway._

She was suddenly disturbed from her musings, by Steven finally beginning their ascent back up the stairs towards her old bedroom. Despite the rather uncomfortable sensation the action brought again, the view she had, more than made up for it.

Cynthia couldn't help but think; that she'd have to repay her husband in some way for this. _Well…our newly renovated house will need christening after all..._ A smirk settled across her lips at her lascivious thoughts; _one thing was for sure…I can safely say; I'm no longer in a bad mood._

* * *

 **And there we are...**

 **Hope you all enjoyed that, once again my muse ran away with me...oh well...**

 **I'm sorry it wasn't a full blown argument, but I just can't envisage them having an all out argument...maybe that's just the romantic in me? I dunno... I hope it did it justice.**

 **Anyway, keep the requests coming, I have a few:**

 **The Bikini request from a guest sounds really intriguing, that's in thinking mode.**

 **Also, Steven's view on the pregnancy is in the works**

 **But honestly, keep them coming!**

 **Until next time...hopefully not as long...but remember, to pick up your stuff people!**

 **Bye for now!**


	32. Black And White

**Hello everyone!**

 **First off I just want to say a massive thank you to all you reviewers and readers out there! You guys are all amazing! Even though I may be absent for short periods, it's a wonderful feeling to know you guys are still enjoying these, and coming up with some awesome ideas for me! So a big thank you from me!**

 **Anyway, on with this story. As I mentioned in the footnotes of my last story, this request was actually so intriguing, I couldn't refuse writing a story about it. So, without further ado, this is the infamous black and white bikini request.**

 **Doesn't really fit in with any other story plot line, but I suppose you could fit it into the same timeline as some of the others. Your choice.**

 **The story is told from Steven's POV, and of course his thoughts are in _italics._**

 **Definitely rating this a T, because there are a few suggestive things mentioned, but nothing too graphic.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy reading this as much I did writing it!**

* * *

In hindsight, he should have guessed at some point; that this was bound to happen at one time or another. It was just unfortunate that it happened to happen, right at this very present moment.

Steven couldn't help but release another irate sigh. What was supposed to be a lovely weekend vacation with his girlfriend, was turning out to be one of the worst decisions he had ever made.

He couldn't help but shake his head slightly; _the whole idea of coming on vacation wasn't the issue here._ In fact, he solely blamed Cynthia's naivety to the whole situation to be the main cause of his sour mood.

Perhaps he should rewind.

* * *

 _A few hours previous..._

Steven couldn't help but glance at the clock that sat on the bedside table once again. After catching sight of the time that flashed on there, he couldn't help but release a weary sigh. _It had been thirty minutes…_

He was currently sat on their temporary accommodation's bed; as he waited for Cynthia to finally, exit the bathroom. They were currently on vacation in Unova, or more specifically, Undella Town. They'd arrived yesterday evening, to which they'd immediately made plans to spend today, relaxing on Undella's luxurious beach; _w_ _ell...if Cynthia ever came out of the bathroom that is._ He couldn't help but release another weary sigh; _what in Arceus' sake was taking so long?_

He knew of many men, who complained about how long their partners' would take to get ready, but usually, he didn't need to worry about such trivial matters, because Cynthia never really had an issue with getting ready in a timely manner. In fact, if he was totally honest with himself, out of the both of them, she was normally the one who'd be ready before him.

So, with that in mind, this is why he found her sudden behaviour rather confounding. He knew from experience that she had no real issues with the way she looked; self-conscious she was not; _so why was today proving to be the exception?_ To be fair, in his opinion, she could wear just about anything and still look good. He couldn't help but give a little smirk at the thought; _although, that being said, I could be a little biased._

Thinking about it logically, he probably was biased, but then again, he knew there'd been a few…well…a lot of disappointment amongst male suitors, when news of their relationship had broken publically. He wasn't blind, nor was he oblivious to the amount of male attention Cynthia drew wherever they went, but he couldn't stop the rather smug sense of satisfaction he got; from knowing that she had chosen him over everyone else; _like I would want to anyway._

He couldn't help but release a little chuckle at the thought, before glancing at the time once again. _It had been another five minutes._ His amusement quickly evaporated, as a little groan escaped him; _honestly, what was the hold up?_

As much as he didn't want to pry, enough was enough. He mentally counted to five, before finally clearing his throat.

"Cynthia?" he called out. He didn't know whether it would be wise to enquire, but honestly, in his opinion, thirty-five minutes of waiting was beyond ridiculous, especially, considering that it concerned a woman, who could usually be dressed and ready in around ten to fifteen minutes. "Are you okay?"

Thankfully for him, the response he got; wasn't along the lines of irritation, much to his relief.

"Yes Steven, I'm fine. I just…" Here she trailed off. There was a moment's pause, before he could hear her give a heavy sigh. "I won't be much longer I promise."

He couldn't help but release another sigh himself, before replying.

"Okay love, you take your time."

Really, under current circumstances, he should have enquired more, but then again, he'd heard stories from some of his other male colleagues', about their experiences with questioning the amount of time it took their partners' to get ready. Needless to say, the outcome of their questioning, hadn't ended well for any of them.

So, taking into consideration their experiences, he decided it would be wise to refrain from pursuing anymore questioning. Many would probably call him a coward, or maybe whipped, (or any appropriate word along those lines,) but he liked to think of it more as self-preservation; he was dating the Sinnoh Champion after all, one of the strongest, if not, the strongest female trainer in the world. If you thought she was strong willed on the battlefield, it had nothing on her personality off it.

He may be a man, but he was rather fond of their relationship as it was; plus he kind of enjoyed the…perks he'd get for being a good boy, so to say. So with that in mind, he felt quite justified in his decision, because to him, causing a potential confrontation; definitely wasn't worth the risk. _Or maybe,_ he thought; _I'm just that besotted with her?_ He couldn't help but give a little inward chuckle at that. Whatever the reason though, it didn't matter, because he'd remain sitting here until she decided she was ready, like the good boy he was. _Man…I think I am whipped._

He couldn't help but release another little sigh, before deciding to lie back against the pillows, in order to stare at the ceiling. _Well, if I have to wait longer, I might as well make myself comfortable._

He had to admit; that even though it hadn't been his suggestion to come to Undella Town, he couldn't deny; that he was still looking forward to spending a relaxing weekend with his girlfriend. It was an extremely rare occurrence for Cynthia to actually get a run of consecutive days off together at the best of times, more so now, with the Sinnoh League beginning their preparations for the upcoming Championships.

However, much to both of their delights, it had been a pure stroke of luck that this specific weekend, she did. Although, thinking about it logically, Steven had a feeling that it wasn't just luck that had been a factor. He was quite sure that if he had pursued the matter more; he'd have found out that Bertha had probably helped them from behind the scenes.

It was quite common knowledge to all, that the elder had a sort of soft spot for Cynthia, (and him by extension,) so it wouldn't have surprised him in the slightest if it had been her; that had helped towards wrangling the days off for Cynthia. Whether she did or not, he couldn't say he hadn't been thrilled with the news; _well...we both were._

Of course, after hearing this fabulous piece of news, like the wonderful boyfriend he was, he'd suggested he'd pay for them to go away for those few days; to wherever she wanted, in order for them to spend some time relaxing together, before Cynthia's time would inevitably be drained away by said Championships.

Steven couldn't help but give a little amused sigh at the thought. It was a good thing he was no longer Champion himself, because honestly, the mere idea of trying to spend a few days away together on vacation like this, would have been like praying for a miracle to happen.

Thankfully, they didn't have to face this issue anymore, what with him being retired and all. Now, he could spend every day with Cynthia, especially, seeming as they now lived under the same roof; _well…sort of, if she wasn't working that is._ She was still Sinnoh's Champion after all.

Despite it no longer being an issue, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to what it used to be like, before he inevitably gave up his Champion status and moved to Sinnoh. Looking back on it, he couldn't help but marvel at how they'd managed to maintain their relationship during that span of months, when he'd still been the Champion of Hoenn and a whole region apart from her.

Between the travelling distance and their hectic schedules, it still amazed him to this day, how they'd managed to survive days, sometimes even weeks, without being within each other's physical proximity. Now, he couldn't go a whole day without craving her presence, something of which he knew she felt too.

Of course they'd contacted each other every day during that period, but still, it wasn't the same as being within touching distance. He couldn't help but release another little chuckle, as a content smile settled across his lips. In the end, he supposed it was just a testament towards how much they actually loved each other.

Steven couldn't help but release a content sigh, before finally turning his head in order to check the time once again. Once he did, he couldn't help but groan; _she'd now been in there for forty-five minutes._ It wasn't as if they had far to walk to the beach, as it was literally, just a stone's throw away from the front door of this house, but honestly, any longer and they might as well not bother, because it would soon be lunch time.

He couldn't help but sigh again, to be fair, the whole idea of coming to Undella Town had been Cynthia's suggestion. When he'd first posed the question to her, he'd been thinking more along the lines of Alola as their destination, what with the array of islands it had for them to choose from. However, Cynthia had insisted they come to Unova, or more specifically, Undella Town, as she had a friend there who had a house, that she was willing to lend out for short periods of time.

At first he'd been slightly hesitant, as he wasn't above admitting; that he felt kind of awkward staying in someone else's house; especially, as he wasn't paying anything towards the stay either. However, since he'd left the decision in Cynthia's hands, in the end, like the good boyfriend he was, he'd agreed, albeit still rather reluctantly.

He had to admit though, once they'd arrived, he'd quickly changed his opinion, as the town itself, was actually quite beautiful; plus, he'd been thrilled when he'd noticed that Undella only had a limited population. This meant that the chances of them actually being disturbed, was very limited, which suited him just fine, because that's all they needed when they were trying to relax, was a mass population of people surrounding them.

So, despite his early reservations, he wasn't above admitting, that Cynthia had made a very good decision on their choice of destination. _Well…that was up until I got to meet this 'friend' of hers._

Steven couldn't help the little groan that escaped him at the mere thought of the woman in question; Caitlin. He'd never had the privilege of meeting the Unova Elite Four member before, as he couldn't recall ever seeing her at any league sanctioned events beforehand. _However now, I can understand why._

Cynthia had briefly mentioned before they had arrived, that her friend could be quite reserved, so he shouldn't be too offended or concerned if she didn't really interact with him that much. Although, after finally meeting said woman, he could clearly say that the word 'reserved,' might not have been the best adjective to describe her. In his opinion, the more appropriate words should have been more along the lines of chilling and unstable. _Okay, that may have been too harsh._

Although, to be fair, she had been perfectly fine with Cynthia; but with him, not so much. He could still remember her impassive, yet chilling gaze now. It had almost felt like she had been assessing him in some way; a way, which had made him feel highly uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Cynthia had managed to break the awkwardness at the time.

"Thank you once again Caitlin for allowing us to stay here for a couple of days, I know it was rather short notice. However, we do both appreciate it, right Steven?"

As Cynthia had turned towards him with a raised eyebrow, he couldn't help but give a nod in agreement.

"Indeed, very much so."

Despite their appreciation however, if he didn't know any better, judging by the response they'd gotten from the Unova native, he'd swear blind that she wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of them staying there.

His theory seemed to be proved correct, when he could here her grumble something about, "It's only supposed to be for females…" However, he had managed to brush the comment aside at the time, although, he had wondered just how much convincing Cynthia had had to do, in order to get Caitlin to agree for them to actually stay; _or rather, the more apt term here should probably be, for me to stay here._

To be fair, he should have guessed then that something was amiss, but despite everything, he wasn't brought up to be disrespectful to others, regardless of their intentions, so he'd brushed the feeling of uneasiness aside. Plus she was one of Cynthia's friends, so he thought he should make an effort towards tolerating her; he owed his girlfriend as much, especially, since she had to put up with Wallace on occasions.

To be fair, thinking back on it now, prior to coming here, he'd actually heard people mentioning about Caitlin before, but like the gentleman he was, he'd paid no heed to it, as he never believed in listening to gossip. He'd always preferred to make his own judgements on a person and only then, after he'd been formally introduced to them. _Oh…how I regret that decision now though._

He couldn't help but release another groan at the thought. Now that he had actually made her acquaintance, he was beginning to think he should have paid a little more attention beforehand to some of the comments, because it might have prepared him a little better.

Although, shortly after that rather…awkward welcoming, Cynthia had then taken it upon herself to engage Caitlin in a conversation, to which he wisely decided to stay out of. He got the feeling that even if he had tried to join in, it would only have further annoyed the psychic trainer even more than she already was. He didn't need to be a genius to figure that out. So for self-preservation purposes, he'd remained impassive.

It had turned out to be another agonizing fifteen minutes, before Caitlin had finally taken her leave, not without shooting him a glare for good measure as she did. He was quite sure that if looks could have killed, he'd have been about six foot under.

As soon as she had left, Cynthia had turned to him with a rather sheepish expression.

"Sorry about that Steven, just…please don't take her attitude to heart; she's like that with most people, especially males for some reason. Unfortunately, she's not one of the most easiest people to get along with I'm afraid."

 _With that attitude, I can clearly see why._ Although, he'd wisely kept those thoughts to himself, because he was quite sure that expressing them would only have led to a further confrontation, something of which he could happily live without.

"I'm sure once you get to know her and she gets to know you, you'll be fine. She just doesn't take well to new people that's all."

Despite Cynthia's words of encouragement, he was quite sure that that; was going to be highly unlikely. However for her sake, he'd vowed to make an effort; _besides, it's not like I'm not used to dealing with disgruntled people on a semi-regular basis anyway._ With being heir to the Devon Co-operation, he'd lost count of the number of times that he'd had to deal with said people beforehand, so what was one more?

However, despite brushing the psychic trainer's attitude aside, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling; that Caitlin wasn't quite done tormenting him yet. It seemed ridiculous of him to think that, but the thought just kept niggling at him. _Maybe she is inside my head? She is a psychic master after all…_

He shook his head slightly to clear away those ridiculous thoughts. Thinking like this wasn't going to help matters at all. Although, no matter how hard he tried, these thoughts just wouldn't leave him. He could feel his earlier reservations about coming here begin to resurface in his mind again. He couldn't help but release another weary sigh; _why did I agree to come here again, exactly?_

Thankfully, before his mind could dwell anymore on these negative thoughts, he could finally hear the handle turn on the bathroom door. At the sound, he finally sat up. _At last! It was about damn ti…_

However, before he could finish his train of thought, they came to an immediate stall, when he finally took in the vision that had now appeared before him. He could feel himself immediately freeze, as his eyes widened in absolute astonishment.

"Well, what do you think?"

Despite Cynthia asking for his opinion, at that moment, Steven was finding it very difficult to give it, as he was still struggling to comprehend what he was actually witnessing. He could feel his mouth opening and closing, but it seemed that no words wanted to form, whatsoever.

"Uh…." he managed to stutter out, before his mind went blank once again. _Where had all that suave sophistication and charm he was known for gone?_ He blinked as he took in Cynthia's appearance again. _Oh yeah, that's where it had gone._ For the woman in question, was standing before him, clad, in what could only be described, as the most alluring two-piece he'd ever seen.

He didn't know why he was feeling as astonished as he was, because it wasn't as if he hadn't seen her in less, he had…well…he'd seen her wearing absolutely nothing…but that wasn't the point. This two-piece, or rather bikini he should say, was something else.

It wasn't so much the striped design that had him so intrigued, it was the colours that adorned it; that astounded him the most; black and white. He was used to seeing her in black every day, but there was just something about the way that both colours blended together on her figure now, that left him breathless. _She couldn't be thinking of going out dressed like that_ , _surely?_

"I didn't actually think it would work; that's why I was taking so long," she stated, completely ignoring his flabbergasted expression, as she gave him a little twirl. "I mean I usually just wear black, but what do you think of the black and white?"

Once again, words seemed to fail him, but he was quite sure, that he was on the verge of a heart attack, because at that present moment, he was finding it extremely difficult to breathe. When she'd just given him that little twirl, he swore he nearly swallowed his tongue. _Surely she knows what she's doing here right?_

However, judging by the rather innocent look she was shooting him, it was quite evident that the answer was most definitely a no. _Arceus, she is definitely trying to kill me_.

"To be fair, when I bought this I wasn't too sure it would be suitable, but when I mentioned this to Caitlin, she did agree that the mix of both colours would blend in well with my complexion."

 _Of course she did._ That settled it in his opinion; the Unova native really didn't like him…at all. Not only was she playing mind games with him; she was also toying with him, because now he knew, he'd have to spend his whole day fending off any unwanted attention from any possible male onlookers, who would certainly get the wrong impression about his girlfriend. He couldn't help but release a little internal groan; _as if this day could get any worse._

As if the universe answered him, a swift knock could be heard coming from the front door. He couldn't help but shoot his girlfriend a rather confused glance at the rather abrupt sound.

"We are not expecting anyone are we?"

Cynthia shot him back a rather perplexed look.

"Not that I'm aware of," she replied, before tilting her head slightly in thought. "Unless Caitlin has returned for some reason?"

Steven couldn't help but cringe mentally at the thought of the psychic trainer. _Great, that's all we need, as if she hasn't interfered enough already._ Dealing with her once was bad enough; but he didn't think he could survive anymore mind games at the moment.

However, his thoughts were rudely brought to an immediate halt, when there was another knock on the door, this time, more insistent.

"I better go and check who it is then."

Steven couldn't help but freeze slightly at Cynthia's words, his eyes widening in alarm, as she made her way past him towards the stairs. _She wasn't going to answer the door that way surely?_ Call him egotistical or call him possessive, but he didn't want anyone to see her dressed like that, especially, if it was a male.

With that worrying thought, he could finally feel his body jumpstart into action, as he shot up off the bed.

"No…wait!" he exclaimed, before literally, jumping in front of the doorway, preventing her from reaching the stairway. "I'll get it."

He didn't have time to dwell on the rather dubious and surprised look Cynthia gave him, as he hastily made his way down the stairs towards the door and the rather persistent knocker. _Smooth Steven, real smooth._

He couldn't help but release a groan at the thought, before finally grabbing the door handle and turning it. As soon as he pulled the door open, he instantly regretted the decision, as he immediately froze at the sight of person standing on the opposite side.

"Well it's about time Stone! I was beginning to think you weren't going to answer."

Once again Steven found himself at a loss for words, but this time, it wasn't out of shock or bewilderment, but more out of alarm and panic. _Oh hell no! What in Arceus name is he doing here?_

"Steven? Who is it?" He could hear Cynthia call out to him, followed by the sound of her footsteps coming down the stairs.

It was only when he registered the sound of her descent; that he finally seemed to be able to shake himself out of his stunned stupor. _I can't let him see her like this!_ Unfortunately, he hadn't come to his senses quick enough, because just as he was about to call out to her, she immediately appeared beside him, now in full view of their visitor, and still clad in that outrageous black and white bikini. _Damn it!_

He could see the beginnings of a smirk touch the older man's lips at her arrival.

"Well, well…hello to you too Cynthia," the man greeted her, his eyes scanning her over, his smirk widening in the process. "Nice to see you too."

Steven could feel his grip tightening on the handle that he was still holding onto. _Why…oh why did it have to be him?_ He couldn't stop his eyes from narrowing dangerously at the man, who was now, shamefully checking out his girlfriend. He could feel his jaw tightening, as he strongly resisted the urge to slam the door in the lecherous man's face.

However, despite the man's rather blatant perusal of her figure, Cynthia seemed highly unaffected, as she simply tilted her head before pleasantly, greeting their unexpected visitor.

"Alder," she greeted, folding her arms in the process. "Well this is a rather unexpected surprise. How did you know we were here?"

The Unova Champion gave a hearty chuckle.

"Well, funny story that actually," he began, as he ran one hand through his wild, messy bangs. "We've got a League party here in Undella Town today, and Caitlin happened to mention that you two would be in the area. So, since you are, we thought you might as well join us."

Steven couldn't help but release a little internal growl at the mention of the Elite Four member's name. He just knew she had something to do with this.

"Well that's the first we have heard of it," Cynthia enquired, as she unfolded her arms; all the while shooting the Unova Champion a rather sceptical look. "She didn't mention anything yesterday when we arrived."

Alder raised his arm in order to run a hand across his chin in thought.

"Huh, well that's strange, because she was the one who actually planned this in the first place."

Steven couldn't help but groan internally again; _of course it was her idea._

It was Alder's loud chuckle that brought him back to the present.

"Although, maybe it had slipped her mind, since she isn't attending after all. But then again I must admit, that it is rather unusual for her to plan things like this, because usually she's not much of a people person, but I suppose she's had a change of heart."

 _I very much doubt that, Steven_ thought, before giving a little shake of his head in disbelief. The whole scenario playing out in front of him, almost felt too unbelievable to be happening. _How had this day gone horribly wrong?_

"Well, since we're here, I suppose we might as well join in, it would be rude not too after all, since she's gone to all this trouble. Right Steven?" Cynthia exclaimed, as she turned in his direction with a raised eyebrow.

He couldn't help but give a heavy internal sigh; at the rather expectant look she was now shooting him. He could think of a thousand other things he would rather do today, than having to spend his entire time watching the Unova Champion and other potential males', drool over his girlfriend, but like his aforementioned girlfriend had just said, it would be considered rude not too accept the invitation.

"Yes…why not?" he finally managed to utter out, plastering on a fake smile for good measure. _Sometimes I curse my good manners._

"Excellent!" Alder exclaimed, before clapping his hands together. "However, before you do, there is one thing that I feel I have to mention, or rather a stipulation of some sorts."

 _Of course there was,_ he thought sarcastically. Since Caitlin had arranged it, he didn't have very high hopes for it to be anything good, a theory that was instantly proved correct by the Unova Champion's next words.

"Well Caitlin did insist, that since it was a Unova League party, everyone at the event must wear items that are either black, white or a mixture of both only, as a sort of tribute to our national colours." He paused, as a smirk began to touch the corner of his lips again. "But I can see that you are all sorted on that front Cynthia."

Steven could feel his grip tightening once again around the door handle that he was still grasping onto, as he witnessed Alder's eyes stray over the Sinnoh Champion's scantily clad figure again. In one sense, it was a good job he was still gripping onto said handle, because he was quite sure if he hadn't have been; he may have hit him.

It seemed like an eternity, before the Unova Champion finally managed to tear his gaze off Cynthia and address him.

"What about you Stone? You got anything black or white? Otherwise Cynthia here will have to come alone…" he trailed off, as he sent him a rather cheeky wink. "But rest assured, if you haven't, I will keep her company for you."

Steven couldn't help the little internal growl he gave, as his eyes narrowed dangerously in the pompous man's direction once again. _Over my dead body!_ _No way in hell, or under any circumstances, am I going to let that happen…at all._

So, this was how he found himself, five minutes after this thought, reluctantly heading back up the stairs to change into something black or white. As he did, he couldn't help but pause for a moment, as his raised his eyes skyward in utter bewilderment; _yes,_ _I hate you too universe._

It seemed he'd been right all along; this trip was going to be nothing but trouble. He growled again at the thought; _we really should have gone to Alola instead._

* * *

 _Present time…_

 _Well today has been a day I'd rather forget._

Steven couldn't help but release a heavy sigh, as he and Cynthia began their trek back towards their temporary accommodation.

Instead of spending his time relaxing with his girlfriend, (like the original plan had been for coming here in the first place,) he had had to spend the vast majority of his time that day, vigilantly watching over said girlfriend, in order to stop any unwanted attention heading her way, from any of the Unova male league members' present at the event, _or more accurately…one male in particular._ Steven felt his jaw tighten as he thought of the man in question.

He knew that Alder had an obvious interest in Cynthia; _heck…who didn't?_ Although, what irked him the most, was that the man wasn't even subtle about it. Despite knowing that she was totally unavailable and not interested in the slightest, the man still blatantly continued to pursue her, much to his aggravation.

Take today for example, Steven had lost track of the number of times he'd caught the man checking out the Sinnoh Champion, when he thought she wasn't looking, something of which, became ten times worse, when someone had suggested a volleyball match.

Of course Cynthia, being the highly competitive individual that she was, had volunteered straight away to participate. He'd decided to pass on the invitation, as he'd never really been that good at sports. So, to save any embarrassment, he'd politely declined.

Although, when he saw Alder enlist onto the opposing team to Cynthia, he'd been extremely tempted to actually participate, just for the sole purpose of potentially slamming the ball into the Unova Champion's face. _Maybe then he'd take the hint and stop ogling my girlfriend._

Steven had never been one for physical violence; so even he was slightly taken aback at first by his rather vindictive thought processes. He wasn't by any means a possessive boyfriend, but lately, he hadn't failed to notice that these rather…malevolent thoughts, seemed to creeping into his mind quite a bit recently, more so when the Unova Champion was present. He couldn't help but release an internal sigh at the thought; _the things that woman could do to him…_

Despite spending most of the day being highly frustrated at Alder; the Unova Champion hadn't been the only thing that had contributed towards his sour mood, oh no. Another thing that he'd been highly unimpressed about, was the fact that he'd had to spend all day shirtless, thanks to a certain psychic trainer's, 'colour code stipulation rule.'

Ironically, despite the fact that he was always wearing the colours' black and white on a daily basis, (his suit being a testament to that,) it seemed on this occasion, he'd forgotten to pack a top of either colour. _Thank Arceus I remembered to pack the black swim trunks Cynthia had bought me last summer;_ he thought, otherwise he'd have been 'banned' from attending altogether.

He couldn't help but inwardly curse himself though at his carelessness. The one time he decided to change his colour style, was the one occasion where he wished he hadn't. _Damn it all to hell._

It wasn't as if he'd been the only male there today without a shirt, but he had still felt highly uncomfortable sitting there in only a pair of black swim-trunks. It wasn't that he was embarrassed about his body, far from it; it was just that…he felt highly uncomfortable showing it off in public. _This is exactly why I wear suits for a living._

In one sense, it had been a good job Caitlin hadn't been present at the party today, because he was quite sure, he wouldn't have been able to refrain himself from telling the woman, exactly where she could shove her 'stipulations.' _Speaking of Caitlin…_ He couldn't help but release another internal groan, as he remembered the third reason as to why he was in a rather bitter mood.

As the party had begun to break up, just before Alder had finally departed, he had dutifully informed them, that there was going to be some sort of mini-tournament for aspiring young trainers' on the beach tomorrow, all thanks to the courtesy of one, psychic Elite Four member.

It wasn't so much the idea of Caitlin setting up the event that had been the problem. The main issue was that, even though it wasn't an actual league sanctioned tournament, it still hadn't stopped Cynthia from vocally announcing her rather keen interest in watching and potentially lending her assistance if it was required.

Of course, this would mean another day of their precious vacation time, (which they were supposed to be spending alone;) would be sabotaged yet again, all thanks to Caitlin. He had to hand it to the Elite Four member; she had planned this to perfection, because she must have known that Cynthia wouldn't be able to resist the idea of missing anything associated with Pokemon battling.

Steven couldn't help but release another inward groan, as his mind seemed to once again return to the one person, who, it seemed, was so intent on disrupting his and Cynthia's time alone together. He wasn't above admitting; that he was highly confused and rather dumfounded as to her reasoning. He'd never even met Caitlin before this trip, so he was extremely baffled as to why she seemed to have a personal vendetta against him.

 _Maybe she was jealous?_ He couldn't help but shake his head slightly in denial. Despite it being a plausible suggestion, he knew that probably wasn't the reason. The more reasonable explanation; was that she probably just didn't like the idea of a male staying in her house, especially, one that was dating a close friend.

He couldn't help but give a little shake of his head, as another little sigh escaped him; _dwelling on the matter is only going to give me a headache._ After the day he had had, that was something he could happily live without. He just had to face facts, that no matter what the reasoning maybe, him and Caitlin, would never see eye to eye. _Like I would want to anyway after this._

Thankfully, before his thoughts could delve any further into dangerous territory, it seemed they had finally reached the front door of the house they were staying in. He couldn't help but give a little inward sigh of relief, as he followed Cynthia into the house, before heading towards the stairs. After the day he had had, all he wanted to do now was lay down.

As he trudged his way up the stairs, he couldn't help but run a hand through his tousled locks, internally groaning when he felt some sand slip between his fingers. He knew he needed a shower, but as of this very minute, he just felt too exhausted.

Despite the fact that he had been sat down for most of the day, he still felt rather fatigued. _But then again, I was concentrating hard on making sure Alder didn't put his lecherous hands on my girlfriend._ So on that note, he justified; that he had every right to feel exhausted.

Once he'd finally made it into the bedroom however, just before he could literally, collapse on the bed, he was stopped rather suddenly by the sound of Cynthia's rather unimpressed voice.

"Before you even think of collapsing on that bed mister, would you care to tell me, why you have been in such a sour mood all day?"

Steven couldn't help but instantly freeze, as his whole body stiffened at the tone of her voice. _Busted._

Even though he'd been aware that Cynthia had been following behind him when he'd ascended the stairs; he'd been so intent on just collapsing on the bed and possibly sleeping away the rest of the evening; he'd forgotten to take into consideration, that she might have picked up on his obvious, sullen attitude.

In one sense, he didn't know why he seemed so surprised; he should have guessed that she would have picked up on it; _I mean, we have been a couple for two years after all. Plus, it wasn't as if I had made an effort to hide my displeasure._

Despite not receiving a response from him, it seemed she didn't need one, as his obvious silence must have been all the answer she needed.

"I'm not blind Steven, I know what you've been doing," she exclaimed, before giving a heavy sigh. "With the amount of glaring you've been doing today, especially towards the Unova Champion, I'm quite surprised your face hasn't remained in a permanent scowl."

At her words, he couldn't help but release a sigh of his own, his shoulders slackening, before finally turning around to face her. As he did, he couldn't help the feeling of guilt that shot through him, as he took in her rather wounded expression.

He couldn't help but swallow slightly, before finally clearing his throat so he could answer her.

"Cynthia…"

However, it seemed that she wasn't quite finished.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself; I love you and only you. Under no circumstances would I ever consider entertaining the idea of stepping out with that lecherous man, despite his intentions."

"Cynthia…"

"I completely understand that his rather blatant disregard for propriety infuriates you, it does me," she continued, whilst running a hand through her blonde tresses for good measure. "However, you need to start refraining from letting those feelings overrun you." She released another little sigh. "Just like I have to do."

He couldn't help but sheepishly run a hand across the back of his neck.

"I know. I'm sorry Cynthia I just…" He couldn't help but pause rather suddenly, as he finally registered the last few words she had uttered. _Hang on a minute…_ His hand dropped sharply from the back of his neck, as he shot a questionable look in her direction.

"Wait…what did you mean by, 'just like I have to do?'"

There was a moment's pause, which was only broken, when a little snort came from the woman in front of him.

"Really?" Cynthia replied in puzzlement, tilting her head in the process, as she shot him a rather sceptical look. "You can't honestly tell me that you've been completely oblivious to all the female attention you seem to attract wherever we go?"

Steven couldn't help but continue to stare at her; still rather perplexed by her accusations. _Female attention? Really?_ Okay, he knew about all those ridiculous gossip polls that they ran in those trashy magazines that Wallace tended to read on a daily basis, and there was no denying that he had heard a few comments in passing about the way he looked; _but seriously?_

"What?"

Cynthia's eyebrow seemed to rise higher, as her lips curled slightly in amusement at his still, obvious state of disbelief.

"Seriously? You mean to tell me that you have no idea?" She gave a little chuckle, before shaking her head slightly, in what he suspected was amazement. "I mean you didn't notice the rather unsubtle glances and stares you were receiving today, especially from that Skyla?"

He couldn't help the brief flash of amusement the coursed through him, at the way in which she spat out the name of the resident Unova flying expert. He knew Cynthia wasn't her biggest fan, _but usually she kept those feelings tightly suppressed._

He shook his head slightly, in order to refocus on the topic at hand. Considering what she had just said, he wasn't above admitting; that he was still slightly bewildered at what he was hearing. _Had she really been watching me all day as well?_ Judging by her expression, it was quite obvious that the answer was most definitely, an unequivocal, yes. _Huh…well what do you know?_

Cynthia shook her head again, before releasing another little chuckle.

"You have no idea how much self control I had to show today, in order to refrain from telling her to back off." She chuckled again, a devious smile then overcoming her features. "And at how much restraint I had to have in that volleyball game; in order to stop myself from potentially slamming the ball into her face."

Upon hearing that, Steven couldn't help but release an inward snort; _wasn't that the exact same thing I had been thinking of doing to Alder earlier?_ He couldn't help the feeling of amusement that overcame him it at the thought; _it seemed that great minds did indeed; think alike._

"To be perfectly honest, I'll be having a few words with Caitlin about this. I mean; I know she doesn't really approve of any of us females' bringing our partners with us when we stay in this house, but honestly, her methods of showing her disapproval need to be toned down. And another thing…"

Steven couldn't help the wide smile that seemed to be creeping over his lips, at Cynthia's continued rant. It seemed he'd been wrong all along; Cynthia hadn't been naïve to the whole situation at all. In fact, it seemed she'd been just as aware as he had been of the psychic trainer's meddling, and judging by her ongoing tirade, it seemed she was just as annoyed by it. _Maybe this vacation wasn't going to be a total bust after all._

After coming to this rather…wonderful conclusion, he finally managed to shake off his paralysis, as he strode towards the woman, before coming to a stop a mere few inches in front of her.

Although, despite his rather sudden close proximity, it seemed Cynthia was still focussed on expressing her opinions. Even though he felt highly amused by her tirade, there was something else he'd rather be doing at this present moment.

"I mean really, I don't see why she'd…"

However, her words instantly ceased altogether when he crashed his lips onto hers, as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer towards him as he did. _Finally…_ As much as he could listen to her talk for hours, there was a far better use for her mouth at the moment.

Much to his pleasure, it didn't take her long to catch on and return his affections. As she did, he shuffled slightly, so that he could now lower them both onto the bed, with him hovering above her.

Once successfully horizontal, he couldn't help but raise his head in order to gaze lovingly, at the blonde beauty that was now underneath him. As he did, he couldn't refrain from running one finger under the right strap of her bikini top.

"Have I mentioned to you yet; that this is a rather breath-taking outfit?"

At his words, a rather content smile seemed to settle across her lips.

"No…no you have not."

"Well, let it be noted; that it really is rather breath-taking," he softly responded, leaning down to place a kiss upon her forehead, before raising his head, in order to gaze into her beautiful eyes once again. "Cynthia…you know that tournament that is happening tomorrow?" He could see her tilt her head slightly, in what he assumed was recognition. "Can't we just forgo it altogether and stay indoors, just the two of us? No interruptions?"

At his request, Cynthia wound her arms around his neck, before a rather seductive smirk settled across her lips.

"Hmm…if we are to do that, you'll have to make it worth my while, Mr Stone."

At her rather seductive and playful tone, Steven couldn't stop the feeling of elation that coursed through him, as his lips curled up into a smirk.

"Hmm..." he hummed, before once again, running a finger under one of her bikini straps. "Don't worry my love, I'm sure I'll think of something," he suavely replied, before leaning down and finally giving into temptation, as he captured her lips with his again. _Damn right I'll think of something._

However, just before he lost all conscious thought processes to everything else that wasn't Cynthia, he wondered if maybe he should send a thank you card to Caitlin, because it seemed; that despite her valiant attempts to try and sabotage their vacation; it seemed her meddling had had the opposite effect.

It may have not seemed like it earlier, but her interference seemed to have worked to his advantage. In fact, much to his delight, it looked like he'd be getting his wish now after all. _Huh? How about that?_

As he felt her hands begin to trail down his bare back, he couldn't help but think, that he'd never be able to look, or think about, the colours black and white the same way ever again.

* * *

 **Well...I have no words.**

 **I hope I did this justice for all you readers who requested it! I admit, that my muse did run away with me slightly, but it still makes me chuckle. The whole idea is quite hilarious!**

 **I do have to say my apologies to any Alder or Caitlin fans out there and potentially Skyla, but I just couldn't resist it. Their characterizations just seemed to fit perfectly into the story like this.**

 **Anyway...**

 **Thank you to all the reviews, they are much appreciated! And please keep throwing those ideas my way, I am taking them all on board. I may not be writing as much as I'd like to, but I'll get to them all eventually!**

 **Cheers guys! Until next time!**


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